Tortured
by MaverickHunter18
Summary: When Annabeth chooses Godhood over a future with him, Percy is broken. His pain worsens when his closest friends forget about him, and he must stay away from his mortal parents. Forced into hiding, Percy attempts to survive alone, but when he is captured by an old "friend," can he be saved? Can Percy Jackson, the hero, be salvaged from the shell of his former self? (Pertemis)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So I had an idea for a slightly different Pertemis story as it is my favorite pairing. I know many of you will dismiss this as "just another typical Guardian story" but try to understand that it's difficult to come up with an original idea for a pairing that cannot be cannon, ever. That said, please review, let me know what you think and how I can improve. I promise to read and try to take on board all of your collective advice and opinions. Enjoy!**

(3rd Person POV: Poseidon Cabin)

Broken.

Percy Jackson, the hero of two wars, Saviour of Olympus, Bane of Gaea and Kronos, Son of Poseidon/Neptune and Sally Jackson, slayer of the Minotaur, the demigod who had endured Tartarus, having his memory wiped and placed in the Roman camp, losing countless friends, was broken.

And it happened over the space of less than a month.

 _FLASHBACK: (still 3rd person)_

 _Percy pulled Riptide from the chest of Gaea's manifestation, a shocked look on its face as it crumbled into dirt. He wiped the sweat from his weary brow as he turned to see the remaining monster army follow suit, relieving demigods and gods alike of their fights. Yet as he began to revel in the victory, his smile was wiped off his face as he saw the bodies of hundreds of demigods strewn across the battlefield, each and every one seemingly adding a ton to his conscience. A wave of sadness washed over him as he began to experience the same sense of loss he felt after the Second Titan War. Although he recognized very few of the faces of the fallen, he still felt as though they were his responsibility, and respectively felt the same loss one feels when a family member passes away. No comforting hand lay on the now two-time Saviour of Olympus' shoulder as everyone mourned over their losses, most notable Artemis over her fallen hunters._

 _And this is where the disintegration of Perseus Achilles Jackson began._

 _TIME SKIP: 2 HOURS LATER IN THE THRONE ROOM (Still 3rd person)_

 _As the demigods filed into the throne room, shuffling among mild protests, Zeus cleared his throat._

" _Ahem," he began, silencing the room, "we are gathered today to reward those who served us in the war, and to honour those who fell in our service. First, the Seven spoken of in the prophecy."_

 _At this, Hazel, Frank, Jason, Piper, Percy, Annabeth and Leo stepped forward. One by one, they were all given godhood and awarded the status of heirs to their respective parents, until only Annabeth and Percy were left._

" _Annabeth Chase," boomed Zeus, "For your contribution to the continued survival of us all, we, the Olympian Council, offer you the title of the minor Goddess of Intelligence, Strategy, Planning, Architecture, Foresight and the Heir to Athena. Do you accept?"_

 _To the shock of many, and the horror of Percy, Annabeth unflinchingly accepted, without so much as a glance at Percy. He fought to contain the tears in his eyes as she glowed, power being instilled into her as she became a Goddess. Looking sympathetically at Percy, Athena spoke up._

" _My daughter, what of Perseus? Surely you would not be so unwise as to give up a future with the closest thing to a perfect man?" Taken aback by the glowing praise from his father's rival, Percy bowed and silently thanked Athena, who merely nodded. Annabeth looked shocked that her own mother would call her unwise, but quickly collected herself._

" _While I thought that I wanted him, I was wrong and foolish to believe so. Pursuing a future as a demigod with him, while enticing, is unwise and I would be better suited to applying my abilities where they can be of benefit." While nobody spoke, almost every God (bar Ares, Dionysus and Zeus) looked sympathetically at the son of Poseidon, none more so than Aphrodite, who sensed the immense pain in the young hero's heart. Steeling himself, he stepped forward as his name was called._

" _Perseus Jackson, as Olympus now owes itself to you twice, we offer you the titles of the minor God of tides, loyalty, swordsmanship, combat, animals and Guardian of Olympus. Do you accept?" At this, the Olympians leaned forward eagerly. Artemis however, remained relaxed in her throne. No man could resist such power, especially when added to the immense pain he would be feeling after Annabeth's betrayal. Although she felt sympathy for the hero, she was almost certain that he would accept, and nearly fell out of her throne when a voice layered with so much pain and defeat reverberated around the room._

" _No," was the reply for the second time. Sighing Zeus slumped in his throne._

" _Very well demigod," he said resignedly, "What reward would you prefer?" Without hesitation, Percy replied,_

" _I would like Hestia and Hades to be returned to the Olympian Council, and for the two camps to be unified."_

" _Very well," came the reply, "You shall be granted your request. As we come to the end of the ceremony, I would advise you all to return to your camps and proceed with your respective mournings and celebrations. Further rewards for heroes will be dealt out over the coming weeks. Until further notice, this council is officially dismissed." Snapping his fingers, the God of the Skies teleported out, followed by several other flashes. Sighing, Percy walked out of the throne room and made his way back to camp alone, dejected._

 _Time Skip: 2 weeks later, Poseidon Cabin (Still 3rd person)_

 _Percy stared at the wall blankly, it had been almost an hour since he was unable to form any more tears. Pain was all he felt, an overwhelming sense of pain. Ever since that day, he barely left his cabin, rarely ate, and almost never spoke a word to anyone. Many people had simply forgotten about him, all but a few of his friends, who were busy wrapped up in their own celebrations, too busy telling stories and joking around to notice their friends pain. He slowly rose to his feet, determination filling his weak body as he stuffed a bag with clothes. Shoving Riptide into his pocket, he made his way out of camp, keeping his bloodshot eyes firmly on the ground. As he crossed the border, he looked back one final time and whispered a faint, "Goodbye."_

 _Time Skip: 3 days later (It's almost as if I killed the first and second, because it's still 3rd person)_

 _Percy watched from the roof of a nearby building as his mother and step father gazed adoringly into the eyes of their newborn. He knew he would only be a danger to him or her, so he kept his distance, promising that this would be the last time he saw them, for everyone's sake. As a tear leaked from his eye, he didn't bother brushing it away, it was a regular occurrence now. Without a noise, he stood up and bounded across the rooftops before swiftly leaping off and landing silently in the branches of a tree. Dropping to the ground, he realized that he was in Central Park, and strode determinedly deeper, preparing himself for life alone._

END FLASHBACK

That all seemed so long ago. Oh how he wished he could return to his little camp by the river, away from anyone who might hurt him, but the chains circling his wrists and ankles prevented any such thing. Coughing weakly, he tried in vain for the hundredth time to summon some water to rejuvenate himself, but only succeeded in further coughin up even more blood to add to the pool that had began to form at his feet. How long had he been here? Gods knew, but he suddenly wished it would end one way or another. As if on cue, a man appeared in a flash of light and grinned sadistically at him.

"Why hello Perseus. My, how the mighty fall. Seems like only yesterday that you were running around with your little friends," this caused a stabbing sensation to erupt in Percy's chest, "being a thorn in my side. Oh how times change." The man laughed maniacally and, pulling a sword from seemingly nowhere, stabbed Percy's side, inducing a pained yell as blood poured from the ruptured skin. Grinning the man pulled the sword out, and began to wipe it with the sleeves of his black cloak. "Don't worry young demigod," at this, his burning golden eyes gleamed, "We have a lot of time left together."

 **AN: That's it for the first chapter. I wanted this to clear up the backstory and hint at what is to come for potential future chapters, if you guys like it of course. Leave a review and let me know what you think, but until next time, take care.**

 **MaverickHunter18**


	2. Chapter 2

**Quick A/N: To begin with, chapters won't be as long, as I'd like to see the kind of response this gets first, as if only 5 or 6 people decide to read this, I won't really put up 20-30k word chapters, but I'll do my best to make them longer each time. Also, there will be some strong language and possible sexual themes (which may or may not come into effect, depending on your responses) Finally, I'd really appreciate it if you guys could leave a review, even if it's just your opinion, I value it highly.**

 _LAST TIME:_ _"Why hello Perseus. My, how the mighty fall. Seems like only yesterday that you were running around with your little friends," this caused a stabbing sensation to erupt in Percy's chest, "being a thorn in my side. Oh how times change." The man laughed maniacally and, pulling a sword from seemingly nowhere, stabbed Percy's side, inducing a pained yell as blood poured from the ruptured skin. Grinning the man pulled the sword out, and began to wipe it with the sleeves of his black cloak. "Don't worry young demigod," at this, his burning golden eyes gleamed, "We have a lot of time left together."_

THIS TIME: (Still 3rd Person)

 _Time Skip: Unknown amount of time_

Percy's head hung, his now long black hair drooping, drenched with sweat. He could no longer feel his arms, as they had been chained above him for … well, he didn't know exactly, but he knew it was a long damn time. Blood and sweat pooled at his feet, and even more lay, dried, around that, and on the wall behind him. His breaths came short and ragged, each a desperate battle against his own lungs. His captor had healed him enough to keep him in a barely conscious, borderline insane state, but he would prefer death to the treatment he had received. The sarcastic quips had stopped long ago, since he realized each breath was a blessing, and could not be afforded to be wasted.

His chest heaved as he gasped constantly for air, weakly straining against the chains that bound him, though he knew it was of no use. Physically, his body was spent, broken and beaten past its limits, and mentally, he felt as though he was at the point of no repair. Ultimately, being shown vivid scenes of your loved ones dying a incredulously slow and painful death, all the while desperately calling your name, snaps the human mind in a way nothing else can.

Suddenly, his ears perked up as he heard the sounds of shouts and the clangs of metal on metal. His head rose, as his pulse quickened, desperately hoping this wasn't another trick. After a while, the noises died down, and he heard a woman's voice shouting orders.

Strange. To his knowledge, there were no women down here.

That must've meant that she was an ally! After all, the enemy of his enemy was his friend, right? When the woman's voice began to die town, he summoned all his energy and managed a groan of, "Hey!"

All was quiet as he waited, hoping against hope that the woman had heard him. Seconds passed, but they felt like days to the Son of Poseidon. Finally, he resigned to the fact that she had not heard him, and dropped his head once more. Almost as if on cue, the door to the room burst open, and a group of girls swarmed in, all notably dressed in silver.

 _Ahhh, the hunters._ Percy thought. Well, atleast they would give him a swift ending to what had proven to be the worst ordeal of his life. When the girls were satisfied that they were alone with the boy, they quietly filed to the side, making way for a beautiful auburn-haired woman to enter. Percy's head rose at this, taking note of Artemis through his bleary eyes. He wished he had the energy to make one final quip, _Well aren't you a gorgeous sight for sore eyes._ Mentally, he chuckled softly, but also chided himself for such thoughts. Artemis' eyes met his, shocked to see the once mischievous, mirth-filled sea-green orbs now dead, empty and glossed over, duller than Zeus' fashion sense. She felt a deep sympathy for the hero, and had her hunters unchain him. As soon as his shackled were off, he fell to the floor, hacking and coughing up blood, but Artemis noted that he deliberately made an effort to keep the blood away from her and her hunters. As he slowly recovered, he dropped into a deep bow in front of Artemis. Shocked that a demigod could apparently still muster up respect despite just being released from apparent torture, she opened her mouth to address him. He cut her off, however, before she could speak.

"Lady Artemis, I offer my sincere apologies for my current state, but I would like to deeply thank you and your hunters for your timely rescue," he said, without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Before Artemis could respond, he cut her off again.

By promptly collapsing.

Time Skip: Apollo's palace (Still 3rd Person)

"Don't worry sis. He should be fine, given enough time to recover. Leave him in my care for a few days, I'll have him 100% by the next meeting." Apollo said reassuringly, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder. For once there wasn't a single trace of humor in his face or voice, he seemed to be genuine in his words. Artemis frowned, turning her attention back to the demigod currently floating in a tank of water, several tubes attached to various limbs, and a mask supplying him with oxygen. He seemed to be in a state of blissful rest, yet his physical condition protested. When Artemis had brought him to her brothers infirmary, they had stripped Percy of his torn and filthy clothes. What lay beneath both sickened yet fascinated Artemis. A lean, tanned, and well built body, enough to entice a drooling Aphrodite. Yet he retained the marks from his torture, various scars, bruises and burns adorning his physique, that refused to fade even under Apollo's godly power. While they had ceased to bleed, and had closed, they would not fade. Artemis felt a deep sense of sympathy for the second time, desperately wanting nothing more than to embrace and comfort the demigod, despite how these thoughts unnerved her.

What puzzled her was how he had retained his physique throughout his period in the Underworld. Assumedly, he would not have been given much food or hydration, or allowed to exercise. When she voiced her query aloud to her brother, he simply replied,

"Whoever did this to him must have cast a spell on him, freezing his body in the state it was, as it would allow them to have more surface area to cover when applying their… methods." At this, the Sun God shuddered noticeably. Artemis saw this, but chose not to press further as it clearly made her brother uncomfortable.

 _Time Skip: Olympian Meeting, 2 weeks later (still 3rd person)_

"Does anything else have anything else to add before this meeting is concluded?" The boredom was evident in Zeus' voice, as it was on almost everyone else's expressions. Taking a deep breath, Artemis stood up.

"I do, Father." At this, Zeus looked at his daughter curiously. Nodding, he silently gave her permission to proceed. Artemis went on to describe how her hunters had stumbled upon Percy in the Underworld, and described his state. The entire council gasped in shock at what they heard. Artemis, having concluded her story, took another deep breath and gestured to Apollo.

"He is now under my brothers care, in his palace, although I am currently unsure of his state. Apollo?" The Sun God smiled, although it didn't reach his eyes, and stood.

"I can bring him here if you wish, but please be easy with him. Having heard what he's been through, it's a wonder he's still sane."

Zeus nodded.

"Bring him here, Apollo." Nodding, the God of Medicine flashed away for a brief second before returning, with a second figure. Although he was clearly Percy, this was a different boy. This Percy's hair hung limply from his face, covering his left eye. His visible eye had a scar running through it, and was devoid of any form of happiness, showing only unimaginable sadness and pain. His well-built frame was supported by two golden crutches, and his entire body language screamed of defeat. His shoulders slumped, and his eyes glued to the floor, he spoke hoarsely,

"My lords and ladies."

After much clamouring, the throne room was finally brought to order by Zeus, who demanded Percy explain where he had been. Reluctantly, the demigod recounted his experiences, starting with Annabeth's betrayal, to his being neglected at camp, to having to stay away from his mortal family, to surviving for days alone in the forest, before finally arriving at his torture in the Underworld. As he finished his story, the Gods looked at him with a mixture of shock, awe, admiration and pity. Athena stared calculatingly at Percy, before speaking up.

"Perseus, do you know where you were exactly?" Looking up, the demigod croaked out,

"The man said something about 'The doorway to Oblivion' but I don't know…" he trailed off, noticing the looks of horror on the faces of the gods. Still oblivious to what was going on, he pipped up, "Does that mean anything?"

Gently, Athena leaned forward and whispered in horror, "Percy, time moves 20 times slower there, among other properties. This is most significant, because what was almost 7 years for us.." The truth dawned on Percy as Athena couldn't finish her sentence.

"Was nearly 140 years for me," he completed. He took a deep, shuddering breath, before steeling himself.

"Lord Zeus, if I may be so bold as to request one thing?"

The King of Olympus stared at his brother's son, shocked that he was still capable of comprehensive speech.

"Name it demigod."

"If you may assign me a purpose? I have nothing to live for, and if this is not possible, I shall simply return to my camp alone."

Pondering this deeply, Zeus seemed to be having several mental conversations, before turning back to Percy. "Yes, nephew, it is entirely possible, but I believe you have some long overdue recovering to attend to first. Return to your camp with Artemis, she will help you bring your belongings to the Hunt, where you must spend the next few months to recuperate. After this, you shall return here to be assigned a duty worthy of your abilities." Although he had his doubts, Zeus seemed genuinely concerned for him, so Percy nodded and bowed.

"Thank you Lord Zeus." Getting up shakily, he began to hobble away, before being halted by a voice behind him.

"For what it is worth, nephew, we are all sorry. We will ensure your recovery." Surprised at Zeus' words, Percy smiled and nodded his thanks before continuing his way out of the throne room, where he waited. After what seemed like hours, Artemis walked out and without a word, flashed them away.

As they reappeared at his camp, the first thing he did was turn and gingerly bow to the Goddess of the Hunt.

"Lady Artemis, I am sincerely sorry that I have been placed as a burden upon you and your hunters. If it is your wish, I will simply remain on my own, and inform Zeus that you helped me recover." Artemis stared at the kneeling demigod before her, finding only sincerity in his words.

Clearing her throat, she addressed him, still reeling from what she had just heard. _Would he lie to her father, and further worsen his condition (ultimately) just to make sure that herself and her hunters were comfortable? He truly was different._

"Perseus, firstly, rise. After your achievements and ordeals, I feel compelled to treat you as an equal." At her words, he rose, and for the first time, Artemis found herself less than 3 inches from a male demigod, yet she felt a delicious shiver at his close proximity. She also realized that he was a good 4-5 inches taller than her. Shaking these thoughts from her head, she continued, realizing that she was staring at him. "Secondly, after all the respect that you have shown me and my hunters, and to women in general, I am certain of the fact that you are different to the men I teach my hunters to loathe. While I immensely admire and appreciate your respect, loyalty and care," At this, she stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes meeting his and staring into them with determination and kindness, "you have been through much. Too much. Please do not feel unwelcome in my hunt. I'd hate for my only male friend to be uncomfortable around my girls." She finished, pulling him into a tight hug, unsure if he felt similarly. She need not have worried, as two strong arms wrapped around her lithe figure.

"Don't worry my lady, I could never feel uncomfortable around you." This made Artemis blush as she quickly pulled away and brushed some hair from her face, giving Percy a clear view of those enchanting silver eyes.

"Yes, well, uhm, I suppose we should begin packing your things." She snapped her fingers, summoning several cardboard boxes. Percy smiled grateful for her help, and dropped his crutches, resting his weight on his left leg.

"Yeah, I guess we should."

It took only a few minutes to pack his tent, food and medicine supplies as well as various weapons. When they had finished, both stopped, and took a minute to smile at each other, both silently thanking each other for their assistance. Percy stacked all the boxes into a neat pile, and turned to the Goddess behind him.

"Ready Perseus?" Artemis asked, still smiling. Grinning back, he replied,

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Good." Snapping her fingers, she flashed both of them and the pile of boxes into the heart of her Hunters camp.

Not even 4 second passed when 2 arrows sprouted from Percy's torso, a groan ripped from his lips as his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed at Artemis' feet. The last thing he saw was a pair of concerned silver eyes, before everything went black.

AN: That's it for this one. I'd love it if you guys left a review telling me your opinion, and leave any ideas you may have. Also, tell me who you think tortured Percy? Anyway, thanks for reading, and until next time, take care.

MaverickHunter18


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey guys, back for Chapter 3. Just quickly, this chapter is in special thanks to NightForever, Limeime and superguy880. Also, this story is going to be extremely "fluffy" for lack of a better word, or "lovey-dovey" if you will. Just a warning, there will be a lot of emotion and feels. As always, leave a review telling me what you think, and any suggestions you may have. Thanks.**

 _LAST TIME:_ _Not even 4 second passed when 2 arrows sprouted from Percy's torso, a groan ripped from his lips as his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed at Artemis' feet. The last thing he saw was a pair of concerned silver eyes, before everything went black._

THIS TIME: (Still 3rd person)

Two hunters lowered their bows, contrasting expressions on their respective faces. Thalia, daughter of Zeus, looked horrified, realizing who she had just shot, and immediately dropped her bow and raced towards her cousin. Phoebe, however, seemed very smug and pleased with herself as she slung her bow over her shoulder and walked away, smiling to herself.

Artemis had barely registered what had happened until Percy's body hit the ground with a _thud._ Panicked, she knelt by his side, and just saw his eyes close as he fell once more into unconsciousness. Fury built inside her. How could her hunters do such a thing? After the state that they had seen him in? She was snapped out of her thoughts as the demigod at her feet convulsed and coughed, a few drops of blood sliding from the corners of his mouth. Determined that he would not die in her care, she placed her arms under him just as Thalia arrived.

"OhmygoshmyladyI'msosososososorryIdidn'tseewhoitwaswhatishedoingherewhatsgoingonwillhebeok." Thalia stopped as she gasped for air, her concern for her cousin seeming to have momentarily made her forget her need of oxygen. Artemis smiled wryly.

"Yes lieutenant, he should be OK, and if you follow me to the infirmary, all will be explained." The Moon Goddess tried to hoist Percy, but grunted in surprise as she barely got him off the ground. Grinning Thalia grabbed her cousin from the other side and assisted Artemis in carrying the bulky son of Poseidon to the infirmary tent.

Once the arrows had been gently removed, they placed him in a bed, and Artemis gingerly fed him some nectar and treated his wounds. When she was satisfied that she could do no more, she absentmindedly brushed his hair from his face and turned to find her lieutenant staring at her with a raised eyebrow, and arms folded.

"What was that milady?" Artemis blushed, not having realized what she did.

"Force of habit Thalia, I always do it for you girls when you're in here. Now, I suppose you have some questions?" It was a blatant lie, but Thalia seemed satisfied as they both pulled up chairs next to Percy's bed and she began with her barrage of questions. Sighing, Artemis did her best to answer them as fully as possible.

Once Thalia finally ran out of questions, her face seemed to hold a mixture of shock, pity, disgust and anger, and Artemis could hear the faint crackle of lightning outside.

"Excuse me, my lady," the daughter of Zeus fumed, "I must inform the hunters of this… situation. With your permission?" Artemis nodded wearily, turning her attention to Percy. She heard Thalia's footsteps grow faint behind her, and sat there idly gazing at _his_ face for what felt like ages. The tent grew silent, the only noise was the faint breathing from the bedridden demigod, the only movement being his chest rising and falling slowly. Artemis hated how he made her feel, it was an unfamiliar warmth, but a pleasant one nonetheless. After what felt like several eternities, his eyes fluttered open, groaning as he made eye contact with her. Annoyingly, her breath hitched as he smiled warmly at her, the sea-green pools of his eyes drawing her in, seemingly holding her captive.

"My lady, where am I?" This snapped Artemis back to reality as she returned his with a smile of her own.

"In my infirmary tent Perseus. After two of my hunters mistakenly shot you, you collapsed, and I brought you here. You've been out for around 4 hours." At this, he attempted to get up, grunting as he realized the immense strain his body was under, the two arrows seemingly having awoken old aches and pains. Although he tried his best to cover it up, and got out of the bed with no other signs of pain, the grunt did not go unnoticed by Artemis. In an instant she stood, her hand on his chest, meeting his eyes with hers, filled with worry.

"You should rest Perseus. Take the rest of the day to recover. Tomorrow, your duties begin, if you feel up to it." His face contorted in confusion.

"Duties, my lady?" This brought a sly grin to Artemis' face.

"Of course. No man can enter my hunt without proving his worth, not even you." Internally Percy groaned, but on the surface he smiled and bowed his head in respect.

"Of course, my lady," Was his dutiful reply. He felt a warm hand take his, and arched an eyebrow as Artemis lead him out of the infirmary. Surely this wouldn't be the best first impression that he could make on the hunters.

Once they reached the center of the camp, she let go of his hand and cleared her throat. Instantly, he missed the feeling of her warm, tender hand in his, but he understood why she did it. Still, even as she called the hunters, and they began to file into the clearing, hostility towards him apparent in their eyes, he longed for her hand, and he was certain that he would bear the brunt of whatever punishment they would inflict just to see her smile as her hand squeezed his. He was rudely awoken from his fantasies as Artemis turned to him expectantly. Assuming that she was expecting an introduction, he hastily bowed and respectfully addressed them, introducing himself. Most of them looked at him with spite in they eyes, some looked unsure, but Thalia smiled warmly at him, and this instilled him with happiness. Surely, at least he had two friends right? Thalia was more like a sister to him, he knew that she could get him through anything, and he loved her endlessly. He tried to express all of that in the smile that he returned to her, and his happiness increased tenfold when her smile grew.

In addition, Artemis seemed to be warming to him, and her presence alone could keep him going for eternities, let alone her musical laugh and enchanting smile. With those two, he reckoned he could survive if the hunters chose to assault him. Once again, he was caught daydreaming as Artemis placed a delicate hand on his shoulder.

"Perseus, your tent is right next to mine. I would advise that you rest until morning comes tomorrow. You need it." Smiling grateful, he bowed once more before walking off to find his tent. He had little trouble finding it, a modest-sized humble abode beside Artemis' larger, glowing silver tent. His seemed to be smaller than those of the hunters, but he could hardly complain. It would serve its purpose, and he had a feeling he wouldn't be using it much in times to come. As he entered, he shrugged off his shirt, tossed it to the side along with Riptide. As they landed beside the sleeping bag, his eyes began to dim, and he collapsed onto the bedding, not bothering to pull up the cover, instantly welcoming the dark embrace of sleep.

That night, Artemis sat wearily in her tent, unable to sleep. The hunters had gone to bed long ago, and were undoubtedly sound asleep, but her thoughts were plagued by a certain son of Poseidon. More specifically, their encounter in the infirmary. Although he had made an effort to hide his agony, Percy was clearly still feeling pain, and the mention of "tasks" had prompted a flash of discomfort in his eyes. However, the question that kept her up was _why had he not complained?_ His strain was obvious, yet he had made no attempt to argue with her or persuade her otherwise. The only conclusion she seemed to be able to arrive at was that he was far too noble to deny any favors that were asked of him, no matter the pain he was in. This made her feel guilty, yet she justified it with the thought _He's just a man._ Was he though? All of his actions seemed to suggest otherwise. Nonetheless, it was another few hours before Artemis finally found any rest.

As a result, she was extremely irritated when she awoke at her usual time, eight o'clock sharp. She rose out of her bed, dressed quickly yet sharply and stopped to straighten her hair and wash her face. Striding out of her tent, she made her way to Perseus', expecting to have to wake him and prepared herself for the worst. Yet, what she least expected was an empty, clean tent with a few possessions, clothes and weapons arranged neatly to the side, so imagine her surprise when she unzipped the tent to find just that. Stepping into the tent wryly, she looked around, expecting this to be some trick of some sorts. Even her hunters were still in bed. Suddenly, she heard a loud thud from the center of camp, making her jump. Composing herself, she stepped out, only to find Percy standing there, his back to her as he neatly skinned and began to prepare a large deer. She walked up behind him, stopping just behind him. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, he cut her off without turning around.

"Good morning my lady. I hope you slept well?" Annoyingly there was only respect in his voice. Ignoring his question, she asked,

"Perseus what is the meaning of this?" Sensing irritation in her voice, Percy's mood fell considerably. Yesterday must have been a one-off then. Standing, he turned and bowed to the Goddess.

"Breakfast my lady. I have already collected and washed fruits and nuts, as well as fresh water from a nearby stream. I was going to set this to grill before coming to wake you and your hunters." Still, Artemis could find no disrespect or insincerity in his voice, much to her annoyance.

"I do not require you to wake me, boy. I expect, however, that you keep up this practice of having breakfast ready each morning by the time my girls are awake." Percy winced inwardly at the cold tone in her voice. Nevertheless, he continued to treat her with respect, nodding and bowing before returning to attend to the deer. Satisfied that he knew his place, although slightly guilty about how she had spoken, she woke her hunters, and slowly they made their way to the dining table, still rubbing fatigue from their eyes.

"Morning girls!" Percy beamed cheerily as the girls made their way to their seats, replying with grunts and looks of distrust and general loathing. Percy's smile faltered, and his cheerful expression replaced with a weary acceptance, that he would find no love among these hunters. He turned slowly and defeatedly back to his task, shoulder slumped as he dejectedly prepared each plate and glass. With the same dejectedness, he served each hunter their breakfast, earning a few more grunts. Finally, he placed Artemis' meal in front of her, not making eye contact as he bowed and slowly moved aside, standing with his hands behind his back, eyes on the ground. None of the hunters paid him any attention, but Artemis noticed and asked,  
"Perseus, will you not eat?" Slowly, he met her gaze and she was staggered by the depths of sadness buried in them, instantly regretting how she had spoken to him earlier.

"With all due respect my lady, I already ate. I thought it would be best if I respected your space and did not intrude on your lives any more than necessary." Artemis quickly picked up on what he was hiding; he blamed himself for "disrupting" their lives. Before she could address him, a huntress she recognized as Tanya stood up, snarling.

"How dare you gorge yourself before us boy! What have you prepared for us, your leftovers? If so, we don't need your pathetic meals." At this, 20 other hunters stood up and growled, voicing their agreement. Percy's eyes once again found the floor as he replied in a quiet, meek voice.

"No, I apologize for eating before you, but you were all asleep, so I had a few of the extra fruits. Nothing more than half a plate. Sorry." The hunters seemed reluctant to accept his answer, so Artemis searched his mind, and found no more than she expected.

"Girls, sit down, he is telling the truth." With a final glare, the hunters sat down, and continued their meals, Percy's eyes still firmly fixed on the floor. When they had finished, they stood and wandered off to find some activity to occupy their spare time, Thalia glancing back hesitantly at her cousin, before joining her sisters.

Percy remained in his position, unmoving as Artemis finished her food. As she swallowed the final bite, she turned and was startled to find him still there, not having moved a fraction of an inch. She cleared her throat to get his attention, once again hit by waves of pity and guilt as his tortured eyes met hers.

"My lady, what are to be my duties?" His voice was quiet yet steely, with an air of defeat, as if he had accepted his fate of loneliness. Resolving to apologize and comfort him later, Artemis listed his tasks.

"First, you must clear the dining table, and wash every plate and glass. Then, I believe there is a stock of arrows that require sharpening and mending, and wolves that need feeding. Following that, you will need to begin whatever laundry needs doing, and of course, hunt and prepare our meals. These tasks will be yours along with sentry duty every other night for the duration of your stay here, and I expect them to be completed to the fullest of your capabilities." Nodding, Percy bowed and began clearing the table. Sighing, Artemis walked away, needing to clear her mind

 _Time Skip: 1.5 hours later, Hunters Camp (Still 3rd Person)_

Percy swore, emerging from the wolf pen, covered in scratches and bites, having just about fed them without dying. The hunters chuckled spitefully as he passed them on his way to the armory tent, further increasing his sense of isolation. Still, at least he had some sense of purpose. Entering the armory tent, he stretched, preparing himself for an arduous ordeal. Looking around, he grabbed a whetstone and the nearest bucket of arrows. He sat himself down with a sigh. This would be a long day.

Unknown to him, Artemis was watching from her tent, having opened a viewing screen similar to an Iris message. She watched in slight admiration and awe as his muscles flexed and popped, sharpening arrow after arrow, going through buckets in an incredible pace, having found his rhythm. He had not complained once, which really stood out to her, as even her hunters would complain occasionally, and he seemed to have taken to break. Additionally, the various fresh scratches adorning his arms and rips in his shirt did not go unnoticed. She winced as an old scar slowly opened as Percy continued steaming through the arrows. Her eyes widened in shock when he paused momentarily to look at the blood slowly trickling from his forearm, before grunting and going back to his work, finding his rhythm again in no time. Closing the portal, Artemis processed what she had just witnessed. Truly, he seemed to take his tasks seriously.

She was working on organizing her tent an hour later when a soft knock came on her tent door. Pausing, she appreciated the presence of a door rather than a zip, before calling out,

"Enter!" The door swung inwards to reveal a younger hunter, Laura, aged 15, who respectfully addressed her,

"My lady," She began, "It is nearing lunchtime and the _boy_ is nowhere to be found." The word "boy" seemed to have a bitter taste in her mouth, and Artemis sighed. What had she done?

"Assemble the hunters at the table. I will find Perseus." Nodding, Laura bowed again before hurrying away. Sighing once more, Artemis picked herself up and exited her tent, closing the door behind her. She wandered around the camp, checking every tent, resulting in nothing. Suddenly, it came to her. He must be at the stream. Closing her eyes, she flashed herself there, and as expected, she found herself behind a shirtless Percy, his naked and scar-covered back covered in a sheen of sweat as he removed a shirt from the water and hung it to dry beside what seemed to be hundreds of other garments. Pausing momentarily, he stretched, causing Artemis to wince at the cracks and pops that sounded as a result, but she couldn't help staring at his firm, muscled back, tanned deltoids clearly defined. She was snapped out of her thoughts when a few droplets of cold water hit her, as a result of Percy splashing himself to in an attempt to rejuvenate himself. This drew an uncontrolled yelp, causing Percy to jump slightly. He turned, only to bow quickly when he noticed who it was.

"Lady Artemis, my apologies for my state. What do you require of me, my lady?" He said respectfully and sincerely. Artemis was slightly taken aback.

"Why do you assume that I need something of you?" Percy smiled bitterly at this.

"Why else would you grace me with your presence my lady?" Artemis was flattered by the compliment, yet simultaneously felt guilt as she replied,

"You do not assume wrong," Even she winced inwardly as she heard her own words, "My hunters are hungry and it is lunchtime."

"My sincere apologies my lady. Give me five minutes, I will have lunch prepared." Bowing, he ran off, leaving Artemis there feeling even more guilty. Everything she had said today only must've hurt him more. She promised herself that she would catch him after he finished his chores, which so far, had been going inhumanly quickly. Sighing again (she had sighed a lot today) she flashed herself to the dining table.

Exactly 5 minutes lates, Percy appeared, with a shirt on this time, carrying several bowls of what appeared to be some form of soup. Once everyone had been served, he disappeared and came back with glasses of fresh orange juice and water for everyone. Pleasantly surprised, Artemis turned to smile her thanks, only to find him in the same position he had been in earlier, standing still as a statue, eyes glued to the ground. Frowning, she asked,

"Perseus, will you not eat?" Once again, his eyes rose to meet hers.

"Apologies my lady, there is none left. I will find some scraps later." At this, his gaze dipped again as he bowed his head. Artemis tried her best to dismiss it, but she was definitely concerned for the young demigod, and it bothered her from her first sip of the soup till the time a knock came at her tent door an hour later.

"Enter," she called, preoccupied in her thoughts concerning Perseus. Coincidentally, it was the son of Poseidon himself who entered her tent.

"My lady, I have completed all my duties for the time being. Is there any task that requires doing?" Artemis looked up, surprised, to find the demigod standing at the foot of her bed, head bowed respectfully. She sighed. It was time.

"Perseus." He looked up at her. "Come sit with me." She patted the space on her bed beside her. Hesitantly, Percy took a seat next to her.

"My lady? Have I done something wrong?" He enquired worriedly. Artemis sighed for the Gods-knew-how-many time that day.

"No Perseus, quite the opposite. I would like to apologize for how I have treated you today." At this, he raised an eyebrow, but his heart pounded.

"My lady?" He asked, confused.

"I spoke very rudely to you, and realizing how my hunters have received you, and how hurt you were after everything you've been through, I-I…" Artemis stumbled over her words, her eyes suddenly finding a fascination in the floor as a lump filled her throat. She nearly jumped when Percy's large, calloused hand squeezed hers in sympathy, understanding what she was saying. Nevertheless, she took a deep breath and continued. "I realized how it must've made you feel, alone, after everything you've been through, after everything you've done for everyone selflessly, and especially after how respectfully you've always been towards me and my hunters, I… Well I thought I should apologize. I felt extremely guilty, and I want to be your friend, Perseus, Gods know we both need it." Her shoulders slumped as she got it all off her chest. She winced as she there was no reply for several agonizing seconds, expecting the worst. She relaxed, relieved when his arms wrapped around her, embracing her tenderly. Artemis returned the hug, shutting her eyes and squeezing his muscular frame against hers tightly, enjoying how warm it felt. She hated to pull away, but it had to be done eventually, and it relieved her to no end when she saw his eyes shine with happiness.  
"My lady, I would like nothing more. But you never have to apologize to me. I am the one intruding on your way of life, I must deal with the repercussions. Although," he broke into a grin, "It is nice to have you by my side Moon Beam." Blushing, she punched him playfully, not noticing the flash of pain in his eyes as she accidentally made contact with an old bruise.

"Shut up, don't call me that." She remarked playfully, and they sat there until nightfall, joking and laughing, just enjoying each other's company.

Over the next few weeks, Percy's schedule seemed painfully repetitive. He'd wake up and hunt for breakfast, prepare it, stand silently while the hunt ate, clear up, eat whatever scraps were left, and attend to various chores around the hunters camp while stopping only twice to hunt and prepare lunch and dinner. In between, he was extremely grateful for Artemis' company, the two growing close, but both were painfully oblivious to each other's growing romantic feelings. He was slightly saddened that Thalia had barely made any contact with him since he arrived, but he understood that it would result in her sisters resenting her interacting with a male, so he learned to push down his hurt.

However, he barely kept himself nourished from the scraps that the hunters left him, something which was easily noticed by Artemis. Scolding him repeatedly, she always had to force him to take a break from his duties to hunt and gather some food for himself. Additionally, with the hunters now having plenty of free time, as Percy attended to all of the chores that would normally be theirs, they filled their time "pranking" the poor demigod. Many of these "pranks" seriously injured him, some left him unconscious, leading to a scolding from Artemis whenever he returned to camp. Always, he just hung his head and apologized, making up an excuse if she asked. Never, not once, did he complain or show her the pain he was in. He knew that was what the hunt wanted, to make him seem weak. Also, this was their home and life that he had intruded upon, justifying their torture, at least in his mind.

One day, however, it had gone too far. Having been extremely tired from night watch the night previous in addition to extra chores as punishment for "slacking" (he had been tied to a tree in the woods while hunters used him as target practice. From 3 meters) he had collapsed in his bed last night exhausted. To make matters worse, Artemis was mad at him for "knowingly slacking" and hadn't spoken to him in a few days, making those days the most miserable of his life. Without his one source of happiness, everything seemed to sink into a gloom, and nothing had a slight trace of joy anymore. So, he felt even worse when he woke up in a tree, suspended among its branches 10 feet off the ground. Groaning, he dropped from the oak unceremoniously, stretching and rubbing the weariness from his eyes. Glancing at his watch, he started in alarm. Breakfast was due in 2 minutes! Quickly, he sprinted around, gathering as many fruits and nuts as possible. Hurrying back to camp, he was met by the glares of Artemis and her hunters, although several hunters chuckled maliciously slightly as they saw the branches and leaves in his hair.

When breakfast was over and everything had been cleared away, Percy found himself alone, with nothing to do for the first time since he had arrived. Sighing, he decided to take a walk, and shoved his hands into his pockets as he strode into the forest. He walked for about an hour, finally coming to a stop as he found a small clearing. He sat down, resting against a tree. Closing his eyes, he felt a few tears leak from his eyes, not for the first time in the last few days. Ever since Artemis had stopped talking to him, except to order him around, he had been absolutely melancholy, eating less and ceasing to talk above a low voice, barely above a whisper, only to respectfully address Artemis when she commanded him. His heart felt heavy, and he felt utterly at a loss over how to do anything to make himself feel better. Opening his eyes, he sniffled as he half-heartedly picked at the grass beneath him. The hunters' pranks hadn't made it any easier. Old wound had been reopened regularly, new ones were added, and he was constantly in a state of agony. The worst thing was that Thalia seemed unwilling to even glance sympathetically at him, and he wondered if she was behind any of the pranks.

Almost as if on cue, a knife flew through the air, appearing from behind the trees facing Percy and embedded itself in his chest. Percy lurched forward, having being caught off guard, before his vision dimmed and he slumped to the ground, out cold.

 **AN: Yeah, that's it for now. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon, maybe even a quick update on the situation with the other Gods/ the Seven/ Camp. Anyway, as alway, review, let me know what you think, and until next time, take care.**

 **MaverickHunter18**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey guys, yep, it's another chapter. Special thanks to guest ForsakenInfinity, your review really motivated me to get this chapter out as quickly as possible. As always, review and let me know what you think, and if you guys would want a quick chapter catching up with the camp/Gods/demigods? If so, let me know how long you'd want it to be. Enjoy.**

 _LAST TIME:_ _Almost as if on cue, a knife flew through the air, appearing from behind the trees facing Percy and embedded itself in his chest. Percy lurched forward, having being caught off guard, before his vision dimmed and he slumped to the ground, out cold._

 _THIS TIME:_

A small group of hunters emerged from the trees, seemingly pleased with themselves, as the smug grins on their faces would suggest. Led by Phoebe, they trod with caution, careful not to awaken the unconscious demigod. As Phoebe reached the fallen boy, flanked by Tanya and Atlanta, she knelt down, roughly ripping the knife from Percy's chest, causing the son of Poseidon to twitch involuntarily.

Phoebe froze.

Several agonizing seconds passed, as the hunters stood, frozen in place, waiting for any signs of consciousness from the demigod. When none came, they breathed a collective sigh of relief, walking back to camp, feeling quite pleased with their handiwork. Arriving at the camp after a few minutes, they wordlessly returned to normal activities, ignoring Thalia's curious looks.

 _Elsewhere…_

Artemis sighed, collapsing onto her bed. Yet again, the son of Poseidon had invaded her thoughts. She reflected on the past few days, a pang of regret shooting through her heart when memories of how she had treated Perseus surfaced. Obviously, she had been partly justified in her actions by the fact that he had been "slacking" in his work. However, she wasn't satisfied with that, as she realized that he had been sent here to recover from his… Experiences. His short time thus far had only seemed to drain him further, and she had not exactly helped the situation by treating him as nothing more than a slave recently. Groaning, she buried her head in her hands.

Why did she feel so differently about this man?

Startled, she realized that she had just referred to him as a man, even if it was just mentally. Maybe that was it. Even subconsciously, she knew that he was different, hence her instinct to refer to him as a man, rather than as a boy. He had been nothing but respectful and obedient ever since his arrival, and even prior to that. To her knowledge, he had never exhibited genuine arrogance, selfishness or sexism, the very qualities that she had come to teach her hunters to hate.

Basically, she didn't have any logical reason to dislike him.

Standing determinedly, she resolved to find him immediately, and to at least ask what had caused him to slip in the work she had assigned, as well as apologize (again) for how she had treated him. Firmly, she reminded herself to be as polite as possible and cursed as she caught herself checking her reflection in the mirror on the way out.

 _Stop it Artemis, he's just a male._

Much to her perplexion, Artemis couldn't find him anywhere in the camp, or even in the kitchen or by the stream. Although it was unlike Perseus to neglect his work, it was extremely uncharacteristic of him to abandon it altogether. She quickly realized, upon a second, closer inspection of all the possible locations he could've been at, that all the chores had been completed. Still, that didn't explain his absence. She would've expected that he would've been training, or collecting/hunting food for lunch. Sighing, she stretched her senses, searching for his presence. Startled, she found it about a mile away, although it was very weak, which meant that either he was intentionally masking it, or… No that couldn't be. Still, she had a horrible feeling in her stomach as she flashed to him.

She appeared in the clearing, spinning wildly, trying to find him. After a few moments, Artemis was horrified to find his limp body, out cold, slumped at the foot of a tree, blood soaking through his shirt. As quickly as she could, she hurried to his side, and checked his pulse. The Goddess of the Moon breathed a sigh of relief as she felt a weak beating beneath her fingers. Though it wasn't much, it was still an indication that he was alive. Gathering him up in her arms, grunting under his weight, she flashed them both into the infirmary tent back at the hunters' camp. Dumping him rather unceremoniously on a bed, she quickly removed his shirt, recoiling in shock at what faced her. His built torso and arms were covered in many more scars and bruises than there had been when she had rescued him. Most notable was the open wound just below his right collarbone, the exact size that her hunting knives would have left. Only her and her most experienced hunters had access to those knives, as the damage they could cause was very difficult to heal. Normally, this would work in her favour, as her foes would succumb to blood loss quickly or infection in the wound. This time, Artemis cursed the effectiveness of the knives as she swiftly began work on treating his wound. First, she fed him a square of ambrosia to help with the pain, followed by coating the wound in nectar, then washing it out with water and covering it with sterile bandages. Sweating profusely from the speed at which she had worked, the Goddess of the Hunt collapsed into a nearby chair.

When Percy awoke, he found himself in the infirmary tent for the second time in less than 2 weeks, with Artemis sitting beside his bed. Clearing his throat, he succeeded in attracting her attention. His questioning look must have been enough as she explained how she had found him. Bowing his head, he thanked her politely, only to be waved away with a casual flick of her wrist. He smiled slightly as he reclined his head and began to close his eyes, only to be abruptly halted by an expectant, "Ahem," from the Goddess beside him. Bemusedly, he opened his eyes and met hers, confused. She gestured to his body. Looking down, he froze as he realized he was shirtless, and realized that Artemis had been referring to the various new marks of torture that had joined the gallery of older ones. Percy refused to meet her eyes as he mumbled,

"Had some trouble with wild animals." Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I've never known squirrels to be particularly good with a throwing knife." At this, she gestured to the bandages on his chest and noticed how he shifted uncomfortably. "Or," she continued, "Bears to be so precise in how their claws tear you apart. Or, for that matter, deer's hooves to leave such large bruises. So, Perseus, what happened?" Once again, the demigod squirmed restlessly. Still, he refused to make eye contact, and her stomach sank as she realized what must have been going on under her nose. Reaching out tenderly, she placed her hand under his chin and lifted his face gently so his eyes met hers.

"Perseus, please, I'm asking you as a friend. Please tell me what's going on?" She spoke softly, hoping he would realize that she was genuinely worried. Sighing, Percy's shoulders fell. He could never resist those eyes.

"You hunters have been… having some fun for a few days." He sighed, hating himself for giving in. He knew they would only hate him even more now.

Artemis' eyes closed slowly. She sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly before opening them again. She had been fearing this, and until now, she had refused that her girls would do such a thing. But hearing how broken he sounded, and seeing the marks covering his body, she knew he wouldn't lie. Plus, the evidence was right in front of her, and she shuddered to think of what kind of scars she _couldn't_ see. Gently, she squeezed his shoulder, prompting him to look at her. She met his eyes reassuringly and spoke softly,

"Perseus, you shouldn't have hid this from me for so long." Suddenly something hit her, and desperately hoping it wasn't true, she asked, "Is that why you…" She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, still hoping it wasn't true. Looking away, Percy nodded forlornly. Realization hit her. Of course, it made sense. She knew he would never shy away from work, no matter how taxing it was, but she had assumed that there was no underlying reason for his "slacking." Staring at the demigod in horror, she found herself unable to form words, in a state of stunned awe at how much pain he seemed to be able to withstand, unflinchingly, without a word of complaint. He had taken the abuse she had hurled at him, allowed his one friend in the camp to believe he was slacking rather than complain, because that showed weakness, and for other reasons, she presumed. Finally emerging from her stunned stupor, she stuttered out,

"B-but why? You could've told me, y-you just let me…" Again she trailed off, still in shock, staring at him as guilt and pity threatened to spill out of her eyes in liquid form. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke up quietly, still not meeting her eyes.

"I didn't think it was fair. It's me who's coming here, and changing your lives, intruding on your home. Plus, you've raised your hunters to hate men, and I suppose they were only abiding by your teachings. I guess I deserved it." His head still dipped, he looked away, unable to meet her eyes. Artemis hated it, but she wanted nothing more at that moment to just hug him and beg for forgiveness. Still, she managed to control herself.

"Perseus, look at me." She ordered. Slowly, he turned and met her gaze. The Goddess of the Hunt nearly recoiled at the unbridled pain that lay in those sea-green depths gone dark, having lost all joy.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know. If-if you had come to me… Why didn't you tell me? You are here to recover, a-and I can't help you if you don't tell me whats happening. I could've stopped them, I…" She didn't know what to say, and had to stop for fear that she would break down in front of him. What she certainly didn't expect was for the son of Poseidon to smile and say the words he did.

"No, don't apologize. You didn't know, yeah, and it wasn't your fault. Don't worry, your hunters had every right to do what they did, I don't blame them an ounce. Please don't worry about me Lady Artemis, I'll be okay in the end." She smiled back, excitement bubbling in her as she recognized small signs of the old Percy beginning to surface. Quickly, her smile morphed into a firm frown as she processed his words.

"No, Perseus, they didn't. I allowed you to stay with us. I do not know if you are aware, but Zeus asked my permission before sending you here. I accepted, hoping to be able to help you, as some form of repayment for your service to Olympus and how respectful you've been to me and my hunters, as well as women in general. I can see if things continue like this, you'll likely leave in a worse state than that in which you arrived. I definitely do not plan on allowing that to happen. You've done nothing wrong since arriving at this camp. Technically, the tasks which I assigned to you should be the hunters' responsibility, but I thought some work could do you good. Maybe...Maybe I should rethink that." She paused to continue, but Percy took the opportunity to cut in.

"With all due respect my lady, I agree that the work does me good. Also, it seems fair compensation for how you rescued me, as well as providing me with shelter and food." Artemis still seemed doubtful.

"Still, I want to apologize… For how I've treated you over the past week. You didn't deserve any of it and…" She paused, hesitantly reaching out and softly taking his hand, "I missed you."

 _MEANWHILE: Thalia's tent_

Thalia sighed as she took off her lieutenants tiara and placed it on her dressing table. Flopping down on her bed, her thoughts drifted to her cousin. She felt incredibly guilty for not doing anything to stop her sisters, but to be fair, he had been incredibly reckless in leaving camp, his friends and family, behind, without so much as a word. Still, she felt extreme discomfort at just standing idly by as he was brutally tortured and abused. The hunters knew that he had been left by his girlfriend who he loved, and tortured in the Underworld for nearly 7 years, yet they still felt no sympathy or consideration for him. Sighing, she resigned herself to the fact that she had missed her cousin, and was wrong for not helping him. Her guilt only increased as she realized that he had nobody to talk to, nobody to cheer him up, and must've been incredibly depressed. She knew from personal experience that he never let on when he was hurting, but instead chose to bottle it up, preferring "not to burden others" as he so selflessly put it. As her eyes closed and she slowly drifted off to sleep, she vowed to make an effort to comfort and support the son of Poseidon.

After her nap, of course.

 _BACK AT THE INFIRMARY TENT:_

"I missed you too." Came the soft reply. All of a sudden, it was as if a weight had been lifted off both of their shoulders, as they smiled at each other, enjoying each other's presence. Slowly, as time passed, the mood lifted, and their conversation grew more lighthearted. Laughter and jokes filled the tent, and both of them were happier than they'd been in a long time. Much to Artemis' secret joy, a small glint could be spied in Percy's eyes after so long. He seemed to be reverting to the carefree, jovial yet still respectful young free-spirited demigod she had known before tragedy had struck. After what seemed like the best hour of both of their lives, Percy glanced at his watch, suddenly startled.

"Excuse me milady," he turned serious again, "It is nearly lunchtime. I must go prepare your meal." Grunting with effort, he lifted himself from the bed, nearly collapsing. Her brow furrowed with concern, Artemis rushed to his side, hurriedly slinging an arm around his shoulder and attempting to take as much of his weight as possible. Meeting her eyes, he managed a weak smile, but found himself unable to look away. Those silver orbs drew him in and held him captive, yet he found himself not wanting to escape the grasp they held on his heart anyway. Likewise, Artemis found herself drowning in those sea-green depths, knowing they held no ill-will for her, only kindness, respect and love, the same that he tried to treat everyone with.

Eventually, they both managed to break the heavy, intense eye-lock, simultaneously blushing as they made their way out of the infirmary and towards the thick of the woods, Artemis supporting Percy the whole way. Soon, the air grew muggy and the mud beneath their feet gradually became wetter and thicker. At this point, Percy gently removed Artemis' arm from around him, smiling his thanks as he leaned his weight onto one leg. Artemis seemed skeptical, but smiled back, deciding to let him support himself until he showed signs of extreme exertion. Soon enough, they found a trail that looked like a duck's, and cautiously followed it to a nearby lake. Choosing to remain hidden, they took cover behind a clump of bushes. Artemis swatted at a few mosquitoes irritatedly, then glanced over at Percy, expecting him to have a similar reaction. To her surprise, he crouched deadly still, affected by the humidity or the mosquitoes, his face an inch-perfect representation of concentration. She couldn't help but notice that despite the humidity not seeming to affect him, his shirt clung to his muscular frame rather flatteringly, and cursed mentally as she caught herself staring again. Returning her attention to their game, her eyes settled on a group of relatively large ducks, notable plump as well, waddling idly by the side of the stream. Deciding to take command, she leaned slightly towards Perseus and whispered,

"I'll shoot those on the right. How will you deal with the others?" She could've sworn his eyes sparked as he grinned.

"Don't worry my lady. You focus on those ones, I'll take care of the left side." Artemis raised an eyebrow and the mysterious nature in which he spoke, but accepted it nonetheless. She summoned her bow and four arrows, and nocking the first one, she began to count down.

"Three… Two… One…Fire" As soon as the words left her mouth, she fired all four arrows with blinding speed and accuracy, yet the sight in her peripheral vision nearly stunned her to the point of falling over. With speed that rivaled hers, he had drawn five shuriken (or Japanese throwing stars) and with a flick of his wrist, sent them hurtling towards their marks with deadly accuracy and swiftness. Each buried in their target's throat with a quiet _Shink_ , rendering them instantly dead. When she turned to look at him, he looked so comically normal that she nearly laughed, and she most likely would have, had she not witnessed the extreme skill he had just displayed. Percy, glancing sideways, noticed the beautiful goddess staring at him in awe, her mouth slightly open. Connecting the dots himself, he shrugged modestly.

"Surviving alone in the woods taught me a bit. Still missed by a couple millimeters." Dusting himself down, he got up and walked towards the fallen mallards. Artemis rose much slower, still coming to terms with what she had just witnessed.

A few minutes later, the hunters were milling around in the center of the camp, with the exception of Thalia. They were very pleased with themselves, having removed the _boy_ from among their midst. It was almost lunch time now, and they couldn't wait to tell Lady Artemis that the boy was nowhere to be found, and they could go back to how things used to be. Imagine their surprise when their leader walked out of the forest with Percy walking alongside her, both of them carrying what appeared to be ducks. Unaware of their audience, the pair continued walking towards camp, laughing and poking fun at each other. However, as they arrived in the center of camp, they stopped short, noticing the gathering of girls staring disbelievingly. Smiling cheekily, Percy couldn't help but make a wisecrack comment.

"What, you thought lunch would prepare itself?" Artemis couldn't contain herself and burst out laughing, and Percy grinned, pleased that he could be himself around at least one person. Chuckling to himself, Percy took the ducks from Artemis' arms and disappeared into the kitchen tent (which was open roofed for safety reasons). Artemis' smile followed him all the way into the tent, but disappeared and was replaced by a serious expression the instant the flap of the tent closed.

"Now girls," she began, "I came across an interesting discovery in the woods today. Can any of you guess what I'm referring to?" The hunters shifted uncomfortably, clearly knowing what the Goddess was talking about, but uncomfortable to confirm it.  
"I cam across the unconscious body of Perseus Jackson, lying at the foot of a tree, blood pouring from his chest. When I brought him here to heal, I found certain newer scars and marks that definitely were not there before. Interestingly, they seemed to have been inflicted by the very weapons I provide you with. Care to explain." None of the hunters spoke up, their mistress' anger assured. There was silence for a few moments, as Artemis stood before her hunters, arms folded and she looked at them with disappointment. Before she could continue, Tanya spoke up.

"My lady, he's a male. We were just doing what you taught us. He is not worthy to be among us, and should be treated like the rest of his vile species." Artemis shook her head sadly.

"No girls, if this is what I've taught you, then I have failed. Not only is Perseus an exception, he is an exception among exceptions. His respect, kindness, caring attitude and unwavering loyalty to his friends is unmatched, as is his respect for women. Unfortunately, it seems that you girls mistakenly have adopted a blinding hatred for all men. While it is certainly true that most males possess the very qualities that I have taught you to hate, there are a few exceptions here and there that should be cherished, for they compensate for the rest of their kind's incompetence. Similarly, there are a few women out there with the qualities that I have taught you to hate in men **(AN: Ain't that the truth Artemis)** and are a disgrace to women everywhere. Perseus has always been an exception and added to what he has done for everyone else as well as the great deal he has gone through has earned him my respect and friendship," this drew a few shocked gasps among the hunters, "yet I honestly believe he deserves it, and you all should reconsider how you've been treating him. I am convinced that if you properly met him, you would grow to love him, and accept him as a brother." As the hunters mulled over her words, she could see that they still seemed unsure. Noting this, she added reluctantly,

"If you still do not believe me, I can show you all personally what he has been through. If you are still genuinely unconvinced, then it is up to you how you treat him. However, I would urge you to give him the benefit of the doubt until you see for yourselves the great ordeals he has been through in order to reach where he is now." This seemed to persuade the hunters, and they voiced their agreement. As if on cue, Percy emerged, smiling, from the kitchen, as a delicious aroma began to waft towards the hunters. Noticing the drool forming in everyone's mouths, Percy's smile widened.

"It should be ready in a few minutes." Suddenly, he noticed that Thalia was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where's Thalia?" He asked, slightly concerned. A girl named McKenzie replied quickly before any of her sisters could snap at him.

"She's napping in her tent." Was the gentle reply. Turning, Percy smiled at her, grateful for her kindness. McKenzie smiled back, actually having no quarrel with the son of Poseidon. She had reserved judgement from day one, not participating in any of the pranks or treating him harshly, yet not interacting with him either. In that aspect, she was similar to Thalia. When she had heard Lady Artemis' speech moments earlier, she was the only one who seemed 100% convinced that her mistress was correct. Having observed the boy over the past few days, she noticed that he had never once complained about any of the pranks, nor the extensive work. He had not attempted to flirt with them, and rarely spoke, his tone only holding respect when he did. However, unlike Thalia, McKenzie was an incredibly gentle and kind soul, rarely participating in combat. She was the best healer in the Hunt, and before Percy arrived, had been in charge of most meals, as she was a fantastic cook. Her skill with animals was also unrivaled by anyone short of Artemis herself. She was able to communicate with animals in every way short of actually speaking to them, and additionally, she was incredibly intelligent. Her final distinct feature was, despite her fantastic array of skills and traits, she was very shy and reserved outside the hunt, and had a hard time speaking to anyone other than the hunt themselves. A side effect of this was that she had incredible confidence issues, and these had been unfairly exploited early in her life, which was her motive for joining the hunt.

"My lady, with your permission, may I go wake up my cousin?" Percy asked as respectfully as he could, bowing for good measure. Artemis smiled and nodded. He beamed gratefully in return, and turned and jogged off to Thalia's tent. He was glad for an opportunity to see, and maybe talk to, his cousin, alone. Her tent wasn't too hard to find, especially as he had delivered her laundry here only two days ago. Cautious not to intrude unwelcomingly, he cleared his throat and called out,

"Hey Thals? You up? Lunch is almost ready!" When he heard no response, he sighed and unzipped the entrance, stooping to enter. Inside, he found her sound asleep, half-buried beneath her blanket. A picture on her bedside caught his attention, and picking it up, he realized that it was a photo of both of them, laughing on a beach as the photo was taken without either of them knowing. He smiled sadly, remembering when she actually used to laugh and joke with him. As much as he yearned for those days now, he knew they were never coming back, so he quietly set the picture frame down and kneeled beside her bed. Grasping her shoulder, he gently shook her sleeping frame, softly calling into her ear,

"Wake up Thals, it's nearly lunch. Come on Thals, wouldn't want to miss food?" Her lightning blue eyes snapped open as she heard his voice. Instantly, her eyes met his sea-green ones. Smiling warmly, Percy went to stand, but was tackled to the ground in a flash, going down beneath the daughter of Zeus with an _oof!_ as the air was knocked out of his lungs. He cringed, expecting a shock or punch, but was surprised when her arms wrapped around him and her head buried itself in his chest. He was even more surprised when he felt a wetness against his shirt, and realized with a jolt that she was crying. He pulled her closer, one hand rubbing her back, as he whispered to her, attempting to comfort her.

"Hey there, Thals, shhhhh, it's ok, it was just a nightmare, nothing's gonna happen to you, I'm here, shhhh now, don't cry." _Shit_ he thought, as her crying only seemed to intensify. After a few seconds, she seemed to pull herself together long enough to form semi-coherent sentences.

"N-no it's n-not that, I… I was thinking a-about how the hunters w-were t-treating you, a-a-and I realized, th-that if it was me, y-you would have b-been so angry and overprotective, a-and I'm just so-sorry, I'm r-really sorry Perce, I sh-should've stopped them, p-please don't be mad, I love you like a brother Kelp Head, I-I just didn't know what to do…" At this Thalia lost it and dropped her head back onto his chest and resumed her sobbing there, one hand clutching desperately onto his shirt, the other wrapped around his back, holding him tight, as if clinging on for dear life.

Percy's heart wrenched to see his cousin like this. Firmly, he cupped her face, and brought it up so her eyes met his, with one arm still rubbing her back gently.

"No Thals, don't say that. None of what happened was your fault, you did the right thing. At the end of the day, you'll always have these girls, and I… Well, I could go at any time." This just made her cry a bit more. "But don't you ever blame yourself. I love you too Thals, possibly more than I know myself, and I hate to see you like this. I could never be mad at you, even if it was your fault." Finishing his small speech, Percy reacher up with the hand that had formerly been rubbing Thalia's back, and wiped the tears from her face. She punched his chest weakly, instantly apologizing when he winced, only to be waved away with a smile.

"Dammit Perce, why do you have to be so fucking noble." Although it was more of a statement than a question, Percy smiled and shook his head, choosing not to reply. Instead, he rose to his feet and offered Thalia his hand. Beaming gratefully at her cousin, Thalia accepted, and he pulled her up. As the pair exited her tent and strolled towards the dining tent, Percy couldn't help but smile, eternally grateful to have another friend among the hunters. Unknown to him, he was about to make a lot more friends.

About 21 teenage girls, in fact.

 **AN: These are slowly going to get longer, chapter by chapter. As usual, drop a review letting me know what you thought and any suggestions/ideas you may have for the plot or any characters you'd like to see take on a larger role. To be honest, I love to hear what you guys think, because at the end of the day, it's you guys who decide whether this story is worth your time or now, and I am writing for you, ultimately. I'll try to respond to every review to the best of my ability, providing that it some form of genuine opinion or suggestion, not just "terrible" or "good". Thats it for now, and until next time, take care.**

 **MaverickHunter18**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hey guys, this chapter is gonna be a quick catch up on what's going on at the camp. Big thanks to everyone who reviewed since last chapter, your opinions really motivated me to write this chapter, especially MikeBM25, but also, thanks for your criticism. It means I can write while a story that you can enjoy fully, without having to question the legibility of certain aspects. Enjoy!**

 _Meanwhile, at Camp Olympus…_

Annabeth sighed and rubbed her temples. As much as she enjoyed putting her intellect to the test, being assigned to keep things running smoothly at Camp Olympus was a headache, even for her. Although the camps had been merged successfully, as per _his_ request, there were still some issues that refused to go away. For the most part, 99% Annabeth would say, the Greek and Roman demigods got along fine, and there were many friendships between the two. However, there were still some lingering doubts concerning each other's respective trustworthiness. As a result, a sort of border was drawn, splitting the camp down the middle. On the border lay the Council Building. Designed by Annabeth herself, the Council Building held important meetings weekly, where representatives from both camps would meet to discuss issues and suggest methods for improving everything from training facilities to toilets. There were about 14 representatives in total, two for each God/Goddess on the Olympian Council (One Greek and one Roman). Annabeth herself was not a representative, however, she did attend the meetings to silently take note of progress, and occasionally pitch in with her opinion.

Although Annabeth was in charge, she couldn't manage everything by herself. There was simply far too much for one person to handle, so she appointed two camp leaders, Nico di Angelo and Reyna Ramirez-Arellano. They directly handled things in the camp personally, being able to interact with the demigods and interfere with their matters in a way that Annabeth couldn't, being a Goddess. Although Nico and Reyna had also been offered Godhood, they both refused, only accepting partial immortality that allowed them not to die, but did not grant them domains, nor did it place on them the restrictions of the Ancient Laws.

Not a day went by that she didn't look back on that day in the Throne Room. Part of her regretted leaving him, but she still believed that it was the wiser choice, albeit she didn't believe it wholeheartedly. Just as she began to slip into those thoughts again, a knock came on her office door. Quickly collecting herself, she called out in an authoritative voice,

"Come in!" The door swung open, and Reyna stepped in, a sheet of paper in her hand.

"Annabeth." Reyna addressed her coldly. Mentally, the daughter of Athena sighed. Reyna had never forgiven her for leaving Percy.

"Yes, Reyna?"

"I have the list of every retiring demigod, just as you asked for." Ever since the merging, Camp Olympus still resembled New Rome. Although the work ethic, training and traditions (e.g. capture the flag) of the Greeks were encouraged over the Romans', the camp now had become a small, thriving city (of Annabeth's design of course) with cafe's, shops, and even homes on the outskirts for retiring demigods.

"Thanks Reyna." Annabeth nodded, accepting the sheet from Reyna's outstretched hand. Returning a nod of her own, the daughter of Bellona briskly turned on her heels and walked off. Sighing, Annabeth began going over the list, and prepared for a long day of paperwork.

 _Elsewhere in Camp Olympus…_

Nico clapped his hands, drawing the attention of everyone in the arena.

"Good job guys, you've really improved. Keep working hard and I'll see you all here next week." A cheer erupted from the group of demigods as they packed away their armour and swords, a few stopping on the way out to thank Nico for his help. Forcing a smile, the son of Hades congratulated them on their progress. When he was eventually alone, he breathed out slowly, tension seemingly leaving his body. He had never been particularly great with a sword, let alone teaching others how to handle one. Sure, he could hold his own in a fight, but he would never match Percy's ability. Then again, who could?

 _Percy..._

The name brought back a flood of memories. Unlike other campers, Nico wasn't blind. He knew his cousin. He knew him well enough to know that just being left by Annabeth wouldn't make him leave. No, he felt guilty for not being there for the son of Poseidon, and silently blamed the other campers for neglecting Percy as well. The only person who shared his view was Reyna, his co-leader and girlfriend. She was the only one he let in, the only one who he could be himself with.

Well, the only one _left._

Knowing that these negative thoughts would take him nowhere, he trudged back to the Hades cabin, intending on picking up a few things before meeting Reyna for their "conference." Of course, very few people were aware of the relationship between the two, however rumors had begun to spread about the two. Nico wasn't worried. He knew that speculation from the campers would come, and accepted it as part of the job. He was broken away from his thoughts when he finally arrived at the door of his cabin. Opening the door, he certainly wasn't expecting to be roughly pulled inside as he was.

The door slammed shut behind him, and the person responsible pulled him into a fierce kiss. Nico smiled as he recognized the only person it could be, and wrapped his arms around her as he deepened the kiss. Eventually, the two broke apart, panting, yet smiling lovingly at each other.

"Hey," Reyna whispered, "I thought I'd surprise you."

"Certainly was surprising," came Nico's reply, gently stroking her hair, "Couldn't ask for a better one." Reyna smacked his arm playfully.

"Shut up, you." She giggled in a very unlike-Reyna way, but it drew a genuine grin from Nico.

"Let's continue this…" he began, his grin growing mischievous as he picked her up and dropped her on the bed. Reyna shrieked in surprise, only to be cut off as she felt Nico's body slowly climb on top of hers.

"On my bed." He finished, whispering huskily in her ear. Reyna moaned. She knew they would be in here for a while.

 _Elsewhere…_

The man with golden eyes growled and slammed his fist into the wall. _What the fuck had he been thinking?_ How could giving a well-loved resourceful demigod _more_ powers ever be good thing? His eyes blazed with fury as his mind raced, scheming to bring back that accursed demigod and torture him for all eternity. What had he actually been thinking?

 _Flashback:_

 _The man entered the room, grinning in anticipation. Percy hung limply in his chains. Without a word, a golden light flowed from the Titan and entered the young demigod. Percy screamed as a burning sensation overwhelmed his body. The man grinned as the son of Poseidon thrashed in his shackles. After a few moments, his resistance ceased, and the power seemed to have been absorbed into him._

" _What… Did… You do?" Percy panted, his muscles still on fire._

" _Like it or not, demigod, you will be part of my ever-growing army. I could find some use for you yet. I have granted you the power to summon and use any weapon, as well as manipulate light and fire."_

" _And… If I refuse?" Percy replied hopefully._

" _You will not. You will always be accompanied by one of my brothers, who I'm sure you know are quite capable of killing you instantly. If they are busy, I will be with you. If you try anything funny, I'll kill someone you love for every step out of line. Understood? These rules will come into effect when my army is ready. For the next few weeks, you will train under me. Any complaints will result in extra torture. Got it?"_

 _Percy gulpes weakly. "Yeah."_

 _End Flashback_

He remembered being impressed by how quickly the demigod learned, yet still kept up his torture to remind him who was in charge. He remembered one session in particular…

 _Flashback_

 _He was furious. Percy had just attempted to hit him with a Void Steel shuriken. Slapping the boy's face, he knocked him to the ground, and placed a foot on his chest to ensure he wouldn't go anywhere. Growling, the Titan pressed down hard, and watched with satisfaction as the son of Poseidon gasped for air._

" _You pathetic demigod! How dare you attack me! Worthless, that's all you'll ever be! Everyone can see it, your parents, that daughter of Athena, the Gods, your friends, everyone! Nobody loves you, and nobody will ever love you! Your pathetic, remember that. Everything that ever goes wrong is because of you. You're not good enough to stop people getting hurt, and you can't help but piss off or hurt others when you try to help them. That's because you're absolutely impotent at everything? What are you?"_

" _Use..less…" was the reply from the gasping demigod._

" _Good."_

 _End Flashback_

He remembered making the demigod repeat those words every day, etching it into his mind. Even though the son of Poseidon had escaped, the Titan took some pleasure in the fact that he had destroyed the boys confidence and had possibly broken him beyond repair. He was torn from his thoughts by a knock at the door. Growling, he threw a knife into the wall beside him and said,

"Enter!"

A dracaena slithered into the room, appearing nervous.

"My lord Hyperion, your brother is stirring." The Lord of the East grinned maliciously, all thoughts of Percy Jackson pushed from his mind.

"Excellent."

 _Back at the Hunters Camp:_

 **(AN: I was going to have the following as the next chapter, but I thought this chapter wasn't long enough)**

Artemis smiled. It was nice to see Thalia and Percy back to how they used to be. She knew that Percy had been quite disheartened by his cousins negligence, and seeing them laughing and joking again meant that he would be happier, which was always good. He was here to recover, after all.

 _But the faster he recovers, the sooner he'll leave you_ said a small voice in the back of her head. As much as she hated to admit it, the voice was right. She didn't want him to leave, she had finally found a friend outside the Hunt. Clearing her mind, she stood up and cleared her throat.

"Hunters, before we eat, I must show you what you asked for. Be prepared." With that she turned to Percy, who seemed very confused, and beckoned him over. Still unsure of what was happening, the son of Poseidon slowly walked over to Artemis. She reached out, touching her hand to his temple, and he instantly blacked out. Reacting quickly, Artemis caught his falling body, and grunted with effort as she placed him on a vacant chair. Behind her, an image projected on the wall began to move, and she realized that these were his memories.

Over the next hour, the hunters would go from surprised, to shocked, to horrified, to terrified, to absolutely shaking. The memories began with how Annabeth and his friends had left him, then progressed to how he chose to stay away from his parents for their safety. As it moved on to the week where he had lived alone in the forest, they were impressed at how he learned to hunt and cook his own meals without any guidance. It then moved onto his capture and torture, and this had many hunters throwing up. It showed him being burned with Greek Fire, mauled viciously by Hellhounds, carved up by Hyperion's blade, shot full of Stygian Iron arrows and beaten with thick tree stump-like clubs.

Only to be healed and for the process to be restarted. And although he would never show it, Artemis knew that Percy had been affected by Hyperion's words that day, taking them to heart.

It then went on to show his rescue, his healing, and his arrival at the hunters' camp, and all the "Pranks" they had played on him. Most were feeling extreme sorrow at this point, some were on the verge of tears. All but one.

Tanya.

Although she had been moved extremely by the memories, and felt sorrow for a moment, she instantly changed her mind when the projection disappeared. She was almost certain that the male had tampered with his own memories, only leaving in what he wanted them to see. Again, she was filled by a burning hatred for him. She was surprised to see her sisters not sharing her views, so standing up, she took matters into her own hands.

"Sisters, how do we know any of this is true? The male could've tampered with the memories, leaving out parts that he didn't want to see, or worse, faking them all. We cannot trust this boy."

Artemis looked at her hunter in pure rage, her silver eyes glowing a bright silver. Before she could open her mouth to snap at the insolent girl, the floor began shaking. Artemis knew only one person could do this, and she looked at the chair to find Perseus levitating a few feet above it, flames keeping him in the air as he glowed a bright white, and his eyes seemed to burn with actual fire in them.

"Enough!" Percy boomed, his voice no longer one of love and respect. Now it was full of unbridled rage and power. "Time and time again, I have been patient with you, tolerated your pranks and treated you with respect. Are you so blinded by your hate, hunter, that you cannot see that Lady Artemis _herself_ took these memories from my mind, and there was no possible way that I could edit them in my unconscious state? If you are truly so adamant in your views, then no longer shall I irritate you with my presence. No longer will I burden you hunters, nor you Lady Artemis." Calming down, he fell down to the ground, landing neatly on his feet and walking over to the Moon Goddess. He took her hand and looked her dead in the eye.

"I'm sorry Artemis, but it seems this can't continue. I will not place you in the position where you have to choose between me and your hunters. I cannot. I'm really sorry Artemis, I have loved every second with you. I'll IM you whenever I can, I promise." At this he hugged her tightly, and went to Thalia, leaving a stunned Artemis behind. Giving her a similar speech, he glared once more at Tanya before running into his tent. By the time Artemis had recovered from her mental state to run over, a blinding white light began to emanate from the tent, forcing her to stop and cover her eyes. When the light had gone, she opened her eyes to find Percy's tent gone as well, along with him and all his possessions. Turning furiously, she stormed into the dining tent. As she entered, all was quiet, and the hunters (except Thalia), especially Tanya, looked at her nervously.

"My tent. Now." She snarled at the responsible hunter. Tanya gulped and looked around for support, only to find her sisters looking at her disappointedly, and Thalia crackling with lightning, staring at her with uncontainable wrath. She knew she would be punished, and she preferred Artemis's disciplinary style over Thalia's painful one. Resigning herself to her fate, she trudged over to Artemis' tent.

What had she done?

 **AN: Ok so we know that Hyperion was the one who tortured him. Nico and Reyna are dating, the camps are unified, Annabeth has taken a role similar to Dionysus' and Hyperion is building an army. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, as well as any plot-holes I may have left. Also, review with and future suggestions. Reviews so far have been absolutely great. Keep it up please. Also, to MikeBM25 and TheMag1c1an, thanks alot for your positive comments, and I hope I addresses some of the issues you guys pointed out. Until next time, take care.**

 **MaverickHunter18**

 **UPDATE: I've changed Emily's name to Tanya for personal reasons. This won't affect the story's future, just thought I'd let you know**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hey guys, back again for another chapter. Response on the last one was absolutely phenomenal. It's great to hear your opinions on the story, so I can adapt certain parts to your liking. Also, some fantastic suggestions were made, and those who left them should be able to see them implemented as the story goes on, if not in this chapter. Keep up the reviews, and enjoy!**

 _Last time:_

" _My tent. Now." She snarled at the responsible hunter. Tanya gulped and looked around for support, only to find her sisters looking at her disappointedly, and Thalia crackling with lightning, staring at her with uncontainable wrath. She knew she would be punished, and she preferred Artemis's disciplinary style over Thalia's painful one. Resigning herself to her fate, she trudged over to Artemis' tent._

 _What had she done?_

 _THIS TIME:_

Tanya was shaking. Visibly shaking. She could not contain her fear as she slowly approached Artemis' tent, beginning to wonder if she had in fact been too quick to assume. With every step, the boy's words began to sink in even more, and by the time she had reached her mistress' tent, she realized that the boy had a point. However, that didn't matter right now. He was gone, and she had to accept what she had done. Her main concern at the moment was how she would deal with the Moon Goddess' wrath. Reaching out a shaking hand, she knocked on the maple wood door, unsure of what to expect. For a moment, there was absolute silence. In that brief moment, Tanya's fear increased tenfold, and her heart began to pound in her chest as if trying to burst free and spare her from Artemis' anger. Just as she began to contemplate bolting, the door swung open slowly to reveal an expressionless Goddess. Wordlessly, she beckoned Tanya inside, and the hunter began to relax gradually as she entered. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, maybe Artemis had calmed down.

Nope.

The instant that the door was fully closed, Artemis's mood took a 180 degree turn, and not for the better.

"What were you thinking!" She snapped at the now terrified hunter, "How dare you question him, after everything I showed you! Did you not hear me speak when I came back from hunting with him? Do my words mean NOTHING?" At this point, Artemis was almost screaming, her face contorted with rage.

"I-I…" Tanya failed to form words, guilt, shame and fear overwhelming her. Seeing that the young girl was almost in tears, the Goddess calmed down slightly.

"I'm sorry Tanya, but I _personally_ vouched for him. I would expect that you would understand what that means. As much as he is not without flaws, he is by far the most acceptable male to walk this Earth. His fatal flaw, being loyalty, prevented him from taking action prior to your outburst, in addition to Hyperion's words. Does it not create any second thought in your mind? How he managed to silently endure all the cruel pranks you inflicted on him? Even Phoebe was willing to tolerate him after what we just saw. Understand that not only have you cost us a valuable asset, you have lost us a friend and denied your sisters the chance to have a figure similar to an older brother in their lives." Her voice had shifted from angry to disappointed, which was even worse to Tanya.

"I-I'm sorry my lady, I just… I just thought… I thought he had deceived you. Like Orion." Artemis frowned.

"Nobody will ever deceive me again, don't you worry. Now, I believe while you are genuinely sorry for what you have done, some form of consequence is in order." Tanya hung her head, she had expected this.

"I believe it only fair for you to attempt to take over the chores that he was responsible for in his time here. If nothing else, it will teach you some respect for who he was." Tanya's eyes widened in horror, but she quickly bowed her head and nodded.

"Tanya, you will be doing these chores alone, without assistance from _anyone_. Is that clear?" As much as she knew it would be impossible, she knew better than to argue with Artemis. She nodded once more, her head still bowed.

"Good."

 _3 Hours later: Tanya's POV_

I screamed mentally as the clothes once again seemed to arrange themselves in a wet, tangled mess. I knew from experience that I had gained over the past 2-3 hours that untangling them was a workout in itself. Ugh. _How the fuck did he manage to get all these clothes done in just an hour?_ I thought, struggling to untangle the various shirts from each other. I had already been at it for almost 3 and a half hours and I was nowhere close to being done. Still, at least here I didn't have to face the disappointed looks of Artemis and the glares of my sisters. Thalia was so angry, just the thought of her sent a cold shiver down my spine. I felt incredibly stupid, hoping against hope that he would come back so I could apologise and start over. I remembered my own brother, smiling slightly as memories of his courage and loyalty came flooding back. In a way, Perseus was kind of like my own brother.

Still, thinking about Charles wouldn't bring him back.

 _Time Skip: Later that night (Back to the good ol' 3rd person POV)_

Artemis sighed as she rode her chariot through the sky. McKenzie had been left with the night watch back at camp, and the other girls were undoubtedly asleep by now. For the first time in awhile, she decided she would ride the chariot herself. Anyways, the autopilot function needed to be checked by Hephaestus soon, and she needed some fresh air. She sighed contentedly as the wind blew coolly in her face, the breeze gently sweeping her soft auburn hair behind her. As expected, her thoughts drifted to the son of Poseidon. She dreaded having to report his disappearance to the council. Although she knew that, for the most part, it would be okay, it was Poseidon's wrath she particularly feared. Additionally, she knew that Apollo, Hestia, Athena and Hermes had soft spots for Percy. As if that wasn't enough, she knew that her father would undoubtedly be incredibly disappointed, as he had assigned Percy to the hunt with the task of keeping him safe until he was back at maximum potential, both emotionally and physically. From what she had witnessed that day, she didn't doubt for a second that his physical capabilities were come back to him in full force, but it would be a while until he recovered mentally.

Moreover, she blamed herself partially for not being aware of what her hunters had been doing. Although she knew that they had worked well to hide it from her, and Perseus should have told her, she knew that she'd have to keep a closer eye on them in the future. But most importantly, she realized that _she would miss him._ This came at only a slight surprise to the Virgin Goddess, as she knew that, on no uncertain terms, Perseus was the best man she had ever met, and being around him instantly lifted your mood. His mischievous and humorous attitude was infectious, and she couldn't help but laugh at his witty remarks or silly jokes. Truly, she would miss his company.

Suddenly, about halfway through her journey, an Iris message portal popped up beside her. Startled, she turned her head and nearly dropped the reins of her chariot in shock.

"Perseus?" She gasped in shock. The son of Poseidon grinned sheepishly.

"Hiya. Sorry about what happened today but I dunno if I can come back right now. That said, I don't want to lose our friendship." Artemis was slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be returning, but she could hardly blame him. She smiled back, relieved that he intended to keep in touch with her.

"Thank you Perseus, I had worried that I would lose my only friend outside the hunt."

"Don't worry Artemis. I'll stay with you even if Gaea herself came back and tried to take you from me." Touched by his kind words, she beamed warmly at him, wanting nothing more than to melt into his strong, caring arms. They continued to converse for the rest of the night, exchanging banter and teasing each other as the night went on. When the time came for Artemis' chariot to land once more, Percy smiled reluctantly before saying his goodbyes.

"Farewell for now my lady, I'll try to keep in touch as much as possible. Also, don't be surprised if you "happen to stumble across" some new hunters in the near future. Thank you for everything." He smiled once more before swiping his hand through the misty portal. Artemis' expression turned to one of longing.

"Goodbye Perseus," she whispered softly as her chariot touched down.

 _Later that day:_

Thalia sighed, tension flooding from her body as the long, stressful day of hunting had come to an end. As they had packed up and moved their camp, the hunters came across a few hellhounds along the way. They made light work of the monsters once they overcame their initial shock, but a few of them sustained minor injuries, and the remainder of the trip was a silently tense journey. While Percy had been at camp, they felt safe, knowing that he would protect them from any danger. The loss of their silent, watchful guardian meant that they had to fend for themselves again, a task they were more than capable of, but they longed for Percy to return, if only for that feeling of security he brought with him. Excusing herself from training, saying she didn't feel well, Thalia returned to her tent, closing the zip behind her and fell face down onto her bed. She wished her cousin would come back, or at least give her some sign that he was okay.

If what happened next startled her slightly, at least she got what she wished for.

An IM portal appeared next to her. Hearing the whoosh sound, she jumped up, her emotions flickering from joy to anger to worry and back again as her cousin's face stared back at her, grinning crookedly.

"Percy! What the fuck?! Where are you? Where did-" She began, questions pouring from her mouth like a waterfall. Percy hurriedly cut her off midway through the third question.

"Shhh, chillout Thals, I'm okay. I just need to be alone for a bit. The pain's starting to really kick in, and I dunno whether I'll be coming back anytime soon." Thalia knew that her cousin had been through far too much, but at that moment she just wanted him by her side.

"Perseus Jackson, Kelp Head, you get your salty ass down here right now. I'm worried sick about you, and so is Artemis, even if she won't admit it." Percy blushed slightly, his heart rate picking up as well. Artemis was worried about him? What could that mean? Thankfully, Thalia didn't notice an continued raging at the son of Poseidon.

"The girls are all really sorry about what they did, they really just want to apologize and start over, even Tanya, I promise. Please, Kelp Head, just come back." Everything from her eyes to her desperate voice pleaded him to return, and as much as he wanted to.

"I'm sorry Thals, I'm sure they are, but what I need right now is to be alone for a bit. I might come back eventually, but for now I'll stick to rescuing demigods and doing my bit to reduce monster numbers. I might send you some sisters soon." Thalia was crestfallen that her cousin wouldn't be coming back anytime soon, but perked up at the mention of new hunters.

"Okay Perce, if you say so. I guess new sisters couldn't hurt for now. Listen, I have to go soon, so you take care and try not to get your ass killed, okay?" Percy grinned, there was the Thalia he knew and loved.

"You worry about yourself Pinecone Face. Love you."

"Love you too Fish Boy." Percy rolled his eyes and Thalia couldn't stifle her laugh as he swiped his hand through the portal. Eventually, she calmed down enough to go to dinner, although not without a wide grin plastered on her face.

Over the next two weeks, the hunt gradually grew adjusted to life without the son of Poseidon, and began to revert to how life was prior to his arrival. Still, they did regret their actions, none more than Tanya. Thalia and Artemis still regularly spoke with the son of Poseidon at night, through Iris messages in their tents. Both missed him dearly, although for different reasons. Thalia longed for his brotherly companionship, how they both looked out for each other while managing to tease and annoy each other to no end. Artemis, meanwhile, had slowly begun to accept her feelings for the son of Poseidon, although she knew with a heavy heart that it was impossible for the two to develop into lovers. If her restrictions as a Virgin and Maiden Goddess, were not enough, it was made even more improbable by her lack of experience, something that he didn't have. Additionally, his good looks, fantastic body, natural charisma and loyal and kind attitude meant that he had the attention of practically every woman on Olympus, with the exception of Hera, Hestia and Demeter. Even Athena had admitted that he was attractive. With all these women to choose from, why would he choose an inexperienced and unattractive lover like her? Even if her looks were okay, her body could not compare to the curves of Aphrodite, nor was her personality particularly great. Unbeknownst to her, Percy shared a similar view, except he believed that he had no chance with her, and thought her the most perfect woman he had ever met. These feelings only grew as they kept in touch, although both were blindly unaware of the other's emotions.

Meanwhile, Percy operated alone, rescuing demigods and killing small groups of monsters. The majority of demigods that he found went to Camp Olympus, but a few girls seemed excited by the prospect of the Hunt and chose to join them. In total, there were four new girls:

Louise Green- Daughter of Apollo. She was okay with a bow but her distinct ability was her incredible voice, it was so musical that it bordered on being charmspeak.

Sara Collins- Daughter of Aphrodite. She wasn't much for violence or combat, but had a way with words that could have anyone wrapped around her little finger.

Jennifer Hubbard- Daughter of Ares. Incredibly skilled fighter, but also much more level-headed than other Ares children.

Francesca Ryder- Daughter of Zeus. She was by far the most powerful demigod he had come across. An incredibly skilled fighter, she was light, agile and quick, making fighting even easier for her. She was also very charming and good looking, a trait she used to her advantage very often. Lastly, Percy discovered as he travelled with her to the hunters' camp, she was very fun to be around, constantly joking and making conversation from nothing. Obviously, they got along perfectly, seeing how similar they were.

All four of these girls were inducted into the hunt with no trouble, and fitted in straight away. None had any interest in boys anyway, so the oath hadn't been a problem. Well, mostly. Francesca had developed a small crush on Percy during their time together, impressed by his loyal and kind personality, as well as his fantastic body and good looks. Nothing happened between them, much to her disappointment, but she supposed it was for the better. She loved her new life in the hunt, and she got along with everyone well, but especially Tanya. The work that Artemis had given her as punishment seemed to make her a much more patient and tolerant person. Much to Francesca's surprise, the hunters all spoke very highly of Percy, none more so than her sister Thalia and Lady Artemis. Thalia and Francesca had hit it off immediately, and were almost inseparable, except when she was with Tanya. If she wasn't with those 2, she could be found sitting by the fire, speaking to McKenzie, who she really liked. McKenzie's gentle and caring personality reminded her of Percy's, which was part of the reason she hung around her so much. The other was because McKenzie was incredibly patient, and always seemed to have the solution to any problem that arose within the hunters. Little did they know, she struggled with a conflict of her own.

McKenzie had always longed for an older brother. Until recently, it had seemed like an impossible fantasy, but she really did believe that she could have had one in Percy Jackson. Unfortunately, he had suffered far too much, and the hunters had pushed him over the edge. Still, she didn't blame Tanya, nor did she blame Percy. She knew that Tanya genuinely had been worried that Percy was like most other men, and he had been through far too much to endure what the hunters had put him through. Tanya hadn't had the best experiences with men in the past, generally being pushed aside and dismissed because of her shy nature. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to come out of her shell until she was a part of the Hunt, and by then it was too late. Artemis' teachings were already instilled into her head, and she had no intention of returning to her former life. Although McKenzie had similar confidence issues, she never had a problem making friends because of her incredibly kind and friendly nature. Also, she never seemed to form an attraction (romantically) to any males, although she knew she was definitely straight. Regardless, she wished Percy would come back so she could get to know him, he seemed to be a very kind and caring male, an exception for sure. She kept it to herself, as she didn't know if the other hunters felt the same. She knew that they wanted to apologize for their actions, but did they share her craving for a brother-like figure? She was too scared to ask, so it remained a well-guarded secret.

 _Time Skip: One week later_

Artemis had a problem. A very big problem. It had been over 3 days since Percy had contacted her, and she hadn't found any new hunters after the four he had sent. The hunter thing wasn't as much of an issue, but she knew that it was a sign that something was wrong. As if that wasn't bad enough, her father had called a meeting, scheduled for the next morning. She knew that at some point during the meeting someone would enquire about Percy, and she would have to tell them that he had gone missing. She dreaded the anger that was inevitable from at least half the council, as well as the disappointment from her father. She knew that Zeus considered Percy as a valuable asset to Olympus, and if he found out about his new powers, she feared the lengths that her father would go to just to locate the son of Poseidon.

 _Poseidon._

Shit. He would undoubtedly be furious and demand some form of retribution. As much as she knew that Zeus didn't love Percy much, it was obvious that he felt pity for the boy, and he felt that Percy needed to be retained as their loyal soldier. With all that considered, she couldn't expect her father to deny Poseidon. But, all that aside, she really, _really_ missed him. She missed her stupid jokes and his broad grin, his caring and loyal personality, and the way his eyes twinkled when he knew something that she didn't. She wished he would come back, even just for one night. Little did she know, his current predicament prevented him from contacting her.

 _Elsewhere…_

Percy grunted as the Russian's fist collided with his jaw. Stumbling back, he took a moment to regain his focus, before glaring at his opponent. The bleeding, bruised son of Ares grinned back. The whole fight had been pretty one-sided, with Percy managing to beat him up pretty badly, and that was the first blow that he had landed since the first round. He raised his fists and lunged, hoping to get a few more hits in while the son of Poseidon was dazed, but Percy was too quick for him. Stepping sideways to dodge the incoming punch, Percy quickly lunged out and caught his opponent in the gut with a well aimed kick. The Russian wheezed and bent over, clutching his stomach. Taking advantage, Percy followed up by bringing his elbow down on the Russian's head with a sickening _crunch,_ before finishing him with a kick in the back. His opponent fell to the ground, covered in blood, and Percy looked down disdainfully. A medic, presumably a son of Apollo, entered the ring and quickly checked the fallen demigod over.

"Five broken ribs, fractured skull and a dislocated left shoulder. Ruthless, man, but he'll live. That's what, six consecutive wins?" Percy grunted.

"Seven." The medic's eyes widened as he hoisted the bulky Russian out of the ring.

"Good luck man. You could seriously win this whole thing." Percy flashed the man a broad grin and a thumbs up before exiting the ring to sounds of roaring and cheering.

He quickly walked out of the arena and into his dressing room that adjoined to a small bedroom through one door and a gym through another. He made for the bedroom, but noticed Ares sitting on a couch. Bowing, he said,

"Pleasure Lord Ares. Sorry about your son." Ares grinned and tossed him a large satchel that sounded like it was full of metal as it flew through the air and into his hands. He opened it, and raised his eyebrows when he found it stuffed full of drachmas and wads of mortal money.

"Don't worry about him. Should've been stronger. As for that, that's your reward for providing such thrilling entertainment. You'll still get what I promised you in the contract, but that's just a bit extra. You impress me punk."

"Thanks that's very generous of you Lord Ares. If it's not too much to ask, could I ask for something else? You don't have to accept, just please consider it." Ares raised an eyebrow and looked thoughtful before nodding.

"I like you kid, you got balls. Speak."

"Well, it's just… I know you said that there was to be no contact with the outside world, but… Can we revisit that? I… I miss some people, and I need to talk to them to let them know I'm okay." Ares grinned.

"Sure thing punk, but it's out of your pocket." Percy let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Lord Ares." Ares waved him away and flashed out. Percy tossed the satchel under his bed before stripping off his boxing shorts and MMA gloves, putting them aside along with his gumshield. He showered quickly and attempted to dress nicely. He was worried about Thalia's and Artemis' reactions when they found out what he was doing.

As usual, a man came in at about half-past ten with a pouch that contained two hundred drachmas along with an envelope with five hundred dollars inside. Nodding his thanks, Percy accepted his winnings and placed it in his safe along with his rewards from his six other matches and the money that Ares had given him. Counting it up, he found that he now had accumulated four thousand drachmas and ten thousand dollars. Locking the safe, he nervously brushed himself down and ran a hand through his freshly cut spiked hair. He had shaved it very short on the sides, but allowed the top to grow longer. For fights, he slicked the top back, but now, he had applied gel and spiked the top. **(AN: For anyone who's curious, I'll put a link to a picture at the bottom that shows what I mean)** The gel had been advertised to give "an indestructible hold" so he wasn't afraid of messing it up. He was more worried about how angry Thalia and Artemis would be. _At least they can't hit me,_ he thought, absentmindedly touching the scar that ran through his eye. Although his eye had been healed, the scar refused to fade beyond a light shade of red. Finally, he steeled himself, and picked up the first of two drachmas from his bedside table. There was no more putting it off. He had washed and scrubbed his gloves and gumshield thoroughly and put them back in their containers. He had washed the sweat and blood out of his shorts, neatly folded them, and placed them on top of his two other pairs, all marked clearly with "Jackson" in green print around the hem. He had done and redone his hair, wanting it to be perfect for Artemis. He had ironed and pressed the polo shirt and jeans that he was currently wearing. He had polished the black leather shoes that currently sat on his feet and tidied his room. There was no more putting it off.

Using his powers over water, he heated up the bucket full of tap water on the floor in front of him until it evaporated into mist. As it floated up towards the ceiling light, a small rainbow formed and Percy quickly tossed a drachma into it, loudly calling,

"Oh Iris, show me Artemis." The mist shimmered for a moment before forming into a clear image of Artemis riding her chariot, her face suggesting that she was deep in thought. _Here goes nothing,_ thought Percy as he nervously coughed, attracting her attention.

 _POV Switch: Artemis_

For the fourth time since he had disappeared, I decided to fly the chariot myself tonight. Although I would never admit it to any of the girls, I had developed… feelings for Percy Jackson. Recently, I had stopped denying it to myself and come to terms with it. After all, there was no other explanation for the craving I felt for his presence. It was almost overwhelming, alarmingly so. I had never felt anything like it. Tonight, I chose to fly the chariot to clear my mind and be alone in a state of peace and quiet. Still, I couldn't push the thoughts of him from my mind, nor could I ignore the hole in my heart that his absence had opened.

So when an Iris message opened beside me, showing him on the other side, I was, needless to say, filled with a range of emotions. I wanted to yell angrily at him, demand answers to all my questions. I wanted to break down and beg him to return. I wanted to calmly tell him to leave me alone. I wanted to smile in joy and tell him how I had missed him. But, most of all, I wanted to kiss him.

In the end, I settled for staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at his new appearance. His new haircut certainly gave him a sexier look, and I surprised even myself with that thought. He seemed to have grown an inch, and put on _a lot_ more muscle. Previously, I recalled that he had sported a much more lean and athletic physique, although with well developed and clearly defined muscles. Now, he had bulked up, and although I knew better than to doubt his agility and speed, his new, larger frame gave him a much more dangerous demeanour. Finally, he had developed a thin layer of stubble that lined his jaw and formed a faint ghost of what could grow into a full beard.

In short? He had become far too attractive for me to do anything but stare.

 _POV Switch: 3rd Person_

Thankfully for Artemis, Percy didn't notice her staring, as he was too busy taking in her beautiful figure. She had chosen to take on a twenty year old form tonight, and was more stunning than ever. Her body was a couple inches taller, not to mention more developed, so to speak. Her curves were more pronounced, and her long, silky auburn hair blew behind her in the breeze, framing her face flatteringly. Her lips were slightly fuller, and he found himself fantasizing about what it would be like to kiss her.

They were like that for 5 minutes straight, just staring silently at each other. Artemis was the first to speak, saying,

"Perseus! Where have you been? How could you just leave me without any warning? Do you know how worried Thalia and I have been? We thought you might've…" She trailed off, not wanting to think about that. Percy grimaced slightly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry my lady, it's just…I couldn't find any more monsters or demigods for ages, so when Ares offered me a spot in his UFC fighting tournament, I couldn't refuse. I would've contacted you earlier, but part of the contract was no contact with the outside world, which I've now re-negotiated." Artemis' eyes widened.

"Are you crazy?! Demigods have died in those tournaments! Do you know how Thalia and I would feel if...If…" Artemis refused to think about that possibility.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I needed some time to myself. This has been good for me, and I've won every fight so far. I'm almost done, I'll be back before you know it. Say, are you missing me?" He grinned cheekily at that last question, noticing Artemis' blush.

"Yes, yes I did," was the soft reply. Percy smiled.

"I missed you too my lady."

 **AN: That's it for this one. In case you hadn't noticed, I've changed Emily's name to Tanya for personal reasons. Also, she has a brother. Some of you may have picked up on his name, and guessed who it is.**

 **Also, I was watching the McGregor-Diaz fight while writing this chapter and it inspired to me write in Ares' UFC tournament for demigods. I'd never seen it used in a story before, so I thought it might be interesting to see what you guys think. As always, review and let me know what you think as well as any suggestions. Until next time, take care.**

 **MaverickHunter18**

 **UPDATE: I forgot to put a link to what Percy's new hair looks like. Sorry. Here it is:**

 **.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hey guys, back for chapter 7 now. I'm so so so sorry but updates may be slower now as my school's starting again and I'm ridiculously busy. I'll try to work on a chapter every day but it'll take longer to get them posted. Keep leaving your reviews, they've been great so far. Enjoy!**

 _Last time:_

 _Artemis' eyes widened._

" _Are you crazy?! Demigods have died in those tournaments! Do you know how Thalia and I would feel if...If…" Artemis refused to think about that possibility._

" _I know, and I'm sorry, but I needed some time to myself. This has been good for me, and I've won every fight so far. I'm almost done, I'll be back before you know it. Say, are you missing me?" He grinned cheekily at that last question, noticing Artemis' blush._

" _Yes, yes I did," was the soft reply. Percy smiled._

" _I missed you too my lady."_

 _This time:_

 _Ares' Fighting Arena: 3rd person POV_

Percy breathed in and out slowly. This was an all-important match. It would decide whether he would challenge James Webster, son of Apollo, for the ultimate championship title. To get there, he had to defeat the other main contender, Jack Hubbard, another son of Ares. He was slightly reluctant to do so, as he recognized that Jack was the brother of Jennifer Hubbard, a girl who he had personally delivered to the hunters. Jennifer had been an extremely nice girl, and he hated to have to do this.

Bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet, he removed his plain white T-shirt, revealing his toned and built body, with faint scars still evident all over his arms, shoulders, chest and back. This sent the girls in the crowd wild, and he smiled slightly and raised one arm and held his clenched fist aloft, acknowledging his supporters. He had chosen to wear a pair of black shorts for this fight, the "Jackson" print written in slightly darker green to contrast strikingly with the pitch-black fabric. He had his gumshield in, and his gloves on. Running a hand over his slicked back hair, he dropped into a fighting position, crouching slightly with his fists raised just below his eye-level. His stance was more side-on than open, thus presenting less of his body for his opponent to strike, and he made sure to remain light on his feet. As the announcer read out their names and rules, Percy wasn't listening. His mind was replaying the end of his conversation with Artemis.

 _Flashback:_

" _I have to stay until my contract expires, Artemis. I promise as soon as I collect my winnings from my last fight, I'll come straight back to you." Artemis' face notably softened._

" _Please, Perseus, take care of yourself. Try not to get injured too badly. If not for your sake… Then for mine." Touched by her words, Percy moved closer to her image before remembering he couldn't actually reach out and touch her._

" _Don't worry about me, I'll be back before you know it, and in one piece. I promise. I've missed you far too much to put this off any longer."_

" _Please come as soon as possible Perseus. I need you back."_

 _End flashback_

"Alright boys I want a clean and good fight! Touch gloves and begin!"

Percy and Jack touched gloves before dropping back into their stances, never once taking their eyes off the other. They circled each other for the first ten seconds before Jack showed Percy his weakness, lashing out impatiently with an admittedly well placed right kick aimed for Percy's stomach. Despite its speed and ferocity, Percy easily sidestepped the kick and delivered one of his own, his foot connecting with with the back of Jack's head while he was off balance, sending the blonde boy stumbling back. Percy watched calmly, taking his time in approaching his opponent. Glaring, Jack reformed his stance, but gingerly held his hands higher than before, guarding his face slightly more. Percy grinned.

"What's wrong sunshine? Got somewhere you need to be?" Jack glared at Percy, and even though the crowd couldn't hear the son of Poseidon's words, they could sense something was happening between the two poised fighters, and let out a roar in response.

 _Meanwhile, elsewhere…_

"What the fuck?" Annabeth muttered, drowsily wiping the sleep from her eyes. Reyna was definitely right, there appeared to be some form of muffled sound coming from the forest, but what could it be? And at this time?

The daughter of Athena drew her dressing gown tighter around her as she entered the forest, flanked by Nico and Reyna, both not particularly pleased at being disturbed from their peaceful rest. They ventured through the forest, albeit slightly sluggishly due to their state of half-sleep. They walked for what felt like hours, until they reached a very small clearing.

"Hmm? It sounds like its… under us… but that's…" Nico trailed off, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Impossible," his girlfriend finished, "But I think it is under us." Annabeth frowned, and dropped to her knees, carefully examining the ground. After a few minutes of close scrutiny, she suddenly jumped to her feet, clapping her hands in excitement. The two demigods beside her jumped, slightly startled mid-yawn.

"I've got it!" Annabeth whispered, barely able to conceal her exhilaration. "This ground is just a disguise… in theory, if I were able to remove enough of it-" she was cut of as Nico and Reyna both dropped to their knees and began digging with their hands. After about two minutes, they had exposed a metal trapdoor. It took all three of them to hoist it up, and together, they dropped down, apprehensive.

What they were not expecting was the entrance to what appeared to be some form of arena. Puzzled, they entered, and navigated around until they found a half-built stand at the top, sealed with construction tape. Ducking under it, they stepped forward and looked down over the balcony-in-progress, shocked at what they saw. Beneath them was the source of the sound they had heard, a roaring crowd surrounding an octagonal cage with two men inside, dressed in nothing but shorts and trainers. The taller, bulkier man with raven-black hair appeared slightly more relaxed, yet still more dangerous than the crouched, blonde and...bleeding boy. Intrigued, the demigods leaned carefully over the beginnings of a railing, eyes glued to the fight.

 _Back in the ring…_

The two circled each other with a minute left of the third round. Considering that Jack had progressed this far, Percy had not expected a knockout before the fifth round, even though nobody had yet lasted past the second with him. Eyeing Jack up carefully, he knew exactly how to finish this fight. Still it took another eight seconds for Jack to present his opportunity, something that Percy wasn't expecting in light of Jack's repeated displays of impatience throughout the fight. It seemed as if he had learned from his black eye, bruised cheek and busted lip.

Jack swiveled on his left foot, attempting to catch Percy off guard with a backwards donkey kick. However, halfway through his pivot, Percy lashed out, quickly switching his stance and throwing a left kick, aimed perfectly at Jack's ass. The son of Apollo yelped and fell to the ground, caught off balance. He landed on his back, hard, the wind knocked out of his lungs. Percy pounced on the opportunity, driving the heel of his hand into Jack's jaw, whose head snapped back as he fell sharply into unconsciousness. Percy rose, unharmed and grinning. Unlike most fights, the arena was filled with multicoloured lights from spotlights hanging from the arena's roof. Puzzled, Percy turned to see Ares himself flash into the cage, grinning as he applauded Percy, although it was drowned out by the crowd's cheers. A microphone appeared in Ares' hand and he raised it, a gesture that asked for silence. Within seconds, there was absolutely no noise in the stands. Ares raised the microphone to his mouth, still grinning at Percy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, with eight, consecutive, wins, still undefeated, is your new champion of the Annual Ares Ultimate Fighting Championship, Perseus Jackson!" At this, the God of War grabbed Percy's arm and raised it above his head. Percy grinned, raising his other arm, drinking in the crowd's chants and cheers, exhilarated in his victory.

 _Back up in the stands…_

Nico, Reyna and Annabeth all let out a collective shocked gasp, eyes wide as all thoughts of sleep were pushed from their minds. They stared in numb shock, unable to believe the sight in front of them. Nico and Reyna felt some relief, having worried for their friend over the years. Annabeth, however, felt nothing but guilt and shame, regretting what she had let go. She steeled herself, drawing in a composed breath as she vowed to get him back, her gifted mind already scheming and calculating.

 _Later..._

Percy pushed open the door to his room, exhausted. He had donned a headband and tank top, deciding that a trip to the gym was in order as the fight hadn't been enough. Sighing, he flipped the light switch and threw his headband over his shoulder as he moved towards his bathroom.

"That was some fight Perseus." Percy tensed, but allowed a smile to creep onto his face as he recognized the voice. Turning, he bowed.

"I'm surprised you came to watch my lady. Not complaining, it's always an honour to have such a highly regarded goddess take interest in our worldly affairs." Artemis grinned at him.

"You flatter me too much Perseus. I do hope that was not sarcastic." Percy returned the smile, albeit slightly more cheekily.

"Never Moonbeam." This drew a glare from her, causing him to laugh. "Sorry my lady, may I have a moment to make myself presentable?" Artemis blushed slightly, realizing that she had allowed her eyes to wander hungrily over his defined arms and shoulders.

"Of course Perseus. I will be waiting here." He smiled gratefully.

"Thank you my lady. I won't be long." He disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Artemis heard the faint sound of water falling and she turned around, looking for something to occupy herself with. She turned her attention to the wall space above his bed, her eyes wandering over the various pictures and drawings that were pinned there. There were pictures from his time at Camp Half-Blood, portraying Nico, Leo, Piper, Clarisse, the Stoll brothers, Katie, Grover, Chiron, Charlie and Silena. There were others depicting his friends from Camp Jupiter, such as Dakota, Jason, Hazel, Frank, Reyna and Gwen. There were drawings of Zoe, Bianca, Calypso, Poseidon, his mother Sally and most surprisingly, herself. This made her blush as she stepped closer, in awe at the detail that he had managed to capture. From the exact length of her hair in relation to her body to how she held her bow in her right hand when not shooting with the left hand half-clenched. She particularly loved how he had portrayed her proud stance under a full moon, a radiant glow encasing her. She was unable to take her eyes off the drawing, but was made to when the sound of a throat clearing behind her tore her away from her fixation.

"My lady I… I see you, ah… _found_ my sketches?" Artemis frowned as she noticed his eyes avoid hers as he scratched the back of his head nervously. She stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. As his entrancing sea-green eyes met hers, she felt a shiver run down her spine, yet she didn't mind. Shaking such thoughts from her mind, she looked reassuringly into those pools that held so much… _Damn it_ she silently cursed.

"Perseus, those drawings… They are unbelievable. The level of detail is hugely impressive, and you have no reason to feel nervous. Even if they were not as amazing as they are, what is a bad drawing or two between friends?" At that, Percy looked up and smiled widely.

"Thank you my lady. That means alot coming from you. I hope my depiction of you was to your liking." Artemis beamed.

"It is flatteringly, positively amazing." Percy couldn't hold back the smile that nearly cleaved his face in two. His eyes shone with happiness from the high praise as Artemis smiled back, happy to have brought some genuine joy. Speaking of him, she took in his appearance, noting that for the first time that she had seen, he looked laid back, with no apparent effort put into his appearance other than the essentials. That said, he still looked as handsome as ever, even with his wet, messy hair, even wearing a plain white shirt and grey shorts, even with all his scars. She decided that she couldn't bear being away from him any longer, and lost her restraint.

"Percy?" she began hopefully.

"Yes my lady?" he returned politely.

"I was, ah… hoping that you would maybe… consider coming back to the hunt? Please? The girls understand what they did and would like a chance to get to know you properly. I know that Thalia and McKenzie have missed you greatly." At the mention of those two names, Percy crumbled. Looking away, he sighed as he ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Alright my lady. Tomorrow morning I will arrive in your camp." Artemis frowned as she noticed his shoulders slump slightly.

"Perseus? Is everything alright?" she asked worriedly. He smiled sadly.

"Nothing of importance milady. I will see you tomorrow." She placed a soft hand under his chin and directed his gaze so that it met hers.

"Please Perseus. I can tell when something has upset my friend. I don't wish to see you suffer any more than you already have, and no matter how insignificant you may deem it, I want to help you with whatever troubles you." Percy said nothing for a few moments, and Artemis began to think of what she could say to get him to talk when she felt his hand take hers from under his chin. He held it gently as he replied, "I dunno my lady, as much as I love my cousin and I know she loves me, her first family is and will always be the Hunt, and the same with McKenzie. With or without me, they have a fantastic life where they are. I would only be taking away time that they could spend with their sisters. With all due respect my lady, I feel that my biggest reason for returning, if I were to, would be…. You." Artemis' eyes widened, shocked.

"Wh-what do you mean Perseus?"

"I mean… you became a good friend to me while I was with you previously and… I guess I held on to the hope that we were still friends. I hope I didn't offend you by leaving my lady, but I assure you it was not my intention to disobey or offend you in any way." Percy looked down as he finished, unable to meet Artemis' eyes. There was a few seconds of unbearable silence, and each passing one made Percy want to hit something or cry out.

Finally, after forever, Artemis stepped forward and said in a small, emotion-filled voice, "Perseus… I don't know how exactly to say this but… my hunters and I owe you so, so much. After everything you went through, you still stayed with us. You obeyed every command I gave you, completed every chore, silently took every insult and wound that you were dealt. You nearly died in my care and were willing to forget it in seconds. You blame yourself far too much, and no, I took no offense to your leave. Truth be told, a part of me was glad, as… honestly, it was safer for you. You needed some time away from pain." At this Percy chuckled dryly. "I didn't think you'd come here! It seems to have done you good though, and that makes me happy. To what you said Perseus, I must agree that we… had some good times together and I- I enjoyed your company." Percy blushed but quickly returned.

"But why my lady? After hating men for so long, why me?"

"Because you are different Perseus." Artemis smiled at him. "You are humble, sometimes overly so, refusing to recognise that your feats border on impossible. You are impossibly kind, forgiving, patient and skilled, a combination that I am forced to admit is difficult to find. Your selflessness makes it impossible to dislike you. If you ask me," she began to blush as the words formed, "that Annabeth girl was an idiot to let you go."

Percy's eyes widened and his face reddened instantly. Thankfully, Artemis didn't see him turn into a beetroot because she found a sudden interest in his floor. Stepping forward, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you Artemis. It means alot coming from you."

She smiled into his shoulder.

"Anytime Perseus." came the soft reply.

Hours later, the two were still in his room, sat on Percy's bed, laughing and swapping stories. Neither had a care in the world, and both forgot to keep track of time. Just as they began to calm down, Percy's door flew open, revealing a red-faced, panting daughter of Athena.

"Percy! I've been looking for you for so long! What the hell are you doing here? Where have you been? Why is lady Artemis here? Oh Seaweed Brain, I've missed you." she rattled off, smiling flusteredly.

Percy rose to his feet slowly, not a trace of any emotion on his face, eyes colder than Khione's refrigerator.

"Respect an Olympian Goddess when you are in their presence Annabeth," Percy growled, "and no, you forfeited your rights to call me Seaweed Brain when you _left_ me without a second thought. Only my friends can call me that. Please leave." Annabeth stumbled back, in disbelief at his demeanour. This wasn't the Percy she knew. She opened her mouth to reply before she was cut off.

"He is right, daughter of Athena," Artemis intervened, barely able to conceal her own anger, "now leave before I am forced to take action against you for hurting and irritating my friend." Annabeth gaped at the pair, drawing smirks from both of them. Closing her mouth, she wordlessly walked out, in too much shock to so much as even close the door. Percy turned to bow to Artemis, but she waved him off, scowling. Noticing his puzzled look, she sighed.

"I told you before, I thought she was an idiot to let you go. Not only that, she possesses many of the qualities that I tell my hunters every man has. She gives maidens all over the world a bad name. I cannot stand here and let her try and play with your emotions like she just attempted to." Percy smiled, pulling Artemis into a tight hug.

"Thanks Moonbeam. You're a great friend." Artemis scowled slightly at the use of that nickname but smiled and relaxed as his strong arms wrapped around her.

"No worries Perseus. You're not too bad yourself, for a man." she quipped, hugging him back.

"Hey!" Percy pulled away, looking at her protestingly. Artemis laughed and lightly punched his shoulder.

"Only joking Perseus. You know I value your friendship highly." Percy relaxed, smiling softly at her.

"As I do you, Artemis, as I do you."

 **AN: Yikes it's been awhile eh? I'm really sorry but it's been tough lately, I've just had so much going on, but I'm doing my best to work on this story as much as possible. Let me know what you guys think about this chapter and leave any ideas you may have in the comments! Until next time, take care.**

 **MaverickHunter18**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Alright guys, after some deliberation, I've decided that this story is going in a direction that no Pertemis story has gone yet (At least that I know of). It's something I'm really excited for so I'd appreciate if you guys could leave your feedback after this chapter.**

 **I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologise to all of you who have begged me to continue writing this story. In truth, I didn't think it was that good and was ready to give up entirely but the feedback has been phenomenal and I'm unbelievably grateful to all of you.**

 **Also I've strangely become obsessed with Olly Murs lately. Not in a gay way (although there's nothing wrong with that) I just can't stop listening to his music. Just putting that out there.**

 _Last time:_

" _I told you before, I thought she was an idiot to let you go. Not only that, she possesses many of the qualities that I tell my hunters every man has. She gives maidens all over the world a bad name. I cannot stand here and let her try and play with your emotions like she just attempted to." Percy smiled, pulling Artemis into a tight hug._

" _Thanks Moonbeam. You're a great friend." Artemis scowled slightly at the use of that nickname but smiled and relaxed as his strong arms wrapped around her._

" _No worries Perseus. You're not too bad yourself, for a man." she quipped, hugging him back._

" _Hey!" Percy pulled away, looking at her protestingly. Artemis laughed and lightly punched his shoulder._

" _Only joking Perseus. You know I value your friendship highly." Percy relaxed, smiling softly at her._

" _As I do you, Artemis, as I do you."_

 _This time:_

Pulling away from his warm embrace, Artemis smiled at the handsome son of Poseidon nervously. Noticing it, Percy cupped her cheek and asked,

"What is it Arty?" Sighing, she looked away before responding,

"So Perseus… Will you- I mean, do you want to… come back to the hunt?" There was a hopeful light in her eyes that died when she felt his hand drop and heard him sigh. She knew it was a long shot.

"Artemis… I'd love to but… I think it might be better if I had some time on my own. While I understand why they did what they did, it still hurts, and I need to recover properly. Please give them my sincere apologies." She nodded downheartedly, saddened that Percy would not yet be returning. She yelped suddenly as he pulled her close to him, one arm wrapped around her slender waist, with the other supporting the hand that currently rested on her cheek.

"Arty… Please don't be disappointed. You are one of my closest friends, and while there's nothing I'd like more than to spend as much time with you as possible, I'm afraid you have your own responsibilities that I would hinder you from taking care of. Don't worry about me, I'll keep in touch." Artemis blushed, not only at his words, but also at their close proximity. Thankfully, Percy pulled her into a hug and didn't see the shade of red spread across her face. "I just need some time … by myself. To figure a few things out. To sort myself out. Is that ok?" Artemis shivered involuntarily as his warm breath tickled her ear, yet at the same time, felt a warmth spread throughout her chest from the soft and caring tone of his voice. The two combined to provide her with a strange yet enjoyable sensation. However, before she could reply to Percy's question, he frowned at her body's slight vibration and held her at arm's length.

"You ok Arty? Is it too cold in here?" Artemis felt as if her heart would burst out of pure love and affection for this man. His concern for her and the way he looked after her while remaining respectful never ceased to shock her. At the same time, she was bewildered (but also thankful) by the fact that he had yet to notice how her body malfunctioned in his presence.

"No no don't worry Perseus. It's nothing." She smiled and waved him off. "As for your question… I suppose you have earned some time to yourself. And who am I to stop you?" Percy looked at her strangely, as if she had lost her mind.

"I think you forget, my lady," he began, playfully emphasizing her title, "That you and your girls rescued me from Tartarus. You delivered me to your brother for healing. You took me into your hunt despite your core values and principles. You vouched for me multiple times with your girls. You just helped me get rid of Annabeth, who, truth be told, I was not ready to face at all. And above all, you've been my friend, and that is what I am most grateful for. So that is who you are to stop me." Artemis felt her face flush. She suddenly realised that this is how Perseus must have felt when anyone complimented him or brought up his achievements, although obviously his actions were far greater than what he had just mentioned of hers.

"No Perseus, I was already in your debt. We all are, for your actions largely are the reason for our continued survival." Percy groaned, falling back onto his bed.

"Dear gods, please stop my lady. I did what I did for those I care for, not because I wanted rewards and fans." Artemis laughed.

"Zeus knows you've received plenty of that anyway," she intervened. He buried his face in his hands, sighing.

"Yes, far too much." She laughed again, and he peeked between his fingers at her glowing face, satisfied and entranced at the same time. He was elated that he had actually made her laugh, that beautiful musical laugh that he loved.

"But in all seriousness, Perseus," she calmed down, placing a hand on his knee, causing him to sit upright. "Everything that I've done, although it isn't much, has been because I respected and admired you, and more recently, because I care about you. Just like you, I don't expect anything in return expect some respect. I do not wish to order or control you. Please take as much time as you need to do whatever you need to." Percy smiled warmly at her before she quickly added, "But don't take too long." He laughed.

"Don't worry my lady, I won't keep you waiting. And as usual, I will keep in touch." She beamed.

"Good."

 _Back at camp…_

Nico lay on his bed, a sea of dark brown hair sprawled across his chest. He absentmindedly played with Reyna's hair as the pair both remained deep in thought. They had missed their friend dearly, and the years of guilt that had burdened their shoulders was eased slightly. Still, neither could shake the shame that flowed through their veins, brought about by the knowledge that they had neglected him after the war. Reyna was less at fault, but she blamed herself nonetheless, reminding herself that one Iris message a day was hardly exhausting. Both had been laying there through the early hours of dawn, silently contemplating how to reintroduce themselves to their old friend. They both had a strong distaste for Annabeth after her selfish decision to leave him, and had come to the conclusion that she would have to be left out of this. Eventually, Reyna lifted her head off Nico's chest and turned around so that she was almost straddling him. Cupping her boyfriend's cheeks, she spoke softly.

"What are we going to do Nicky? I know he was like a brother to you, and that alone makes me love and respect him, never mind what he did while he was at Camp Jupiter." Nico sighed, smiling slightly at his partner.

"I really don't know Rey. I don't know how he'll take seeing us. I don't want him to hate us, even though he has every right to… I just- I'm just scared Rey." Reyna frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just… I always looked up to him you know? He always looked out for me, protected me when I needed it, took me under his wing and guided me away from the darkness that I nearly fell into. He made me who I am today, saving my life multiple times while risking his. And then… and then I couldn't even save him from himself. He always said I was like a brother to him. What kind of brother am I?" Reyna scowled, slapping her boy beneath her sharply. He clutched his cheek indignantly, eyes wide in silent protest.

"Shut up Nico, you are a great friend and I have no doubt that he valued you as much as you did him. Yes, you messed up but so did the rest of us. If we don't at least try to make up for it, how will he ever forgive us? I miss him as well, and that's why we're going to try our hardest to get our hero back." Nico smiled lovingly at the daughter of Bellona and softly stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"And that is why I love you Rey." He pulled her in for a soft, passionate kiss that left the two of them pleasantly dazed. She grinned back at him.

"Love you too Nicky."

 _At the Hunters' camp…_

Artemis flashed in just after dawn. The hunters were all still asleep, so she decided to retire to her tent for the time being, intending to rest and gather her thoughts. She exhaled deeply as her back hit the soft mattress of her bed. She replayed the recent events over and over in her head, still struggling to come to terms with her feelings for _him_. They had only increased after his behavior back at his quarters at Ares' arena. She couldn't deny it any longer, she had fallen for Percy Jackson, and _hard_. However, she had no worries, apart from the nervousness that bubbled in her gut. She knew that he was fully worthy, and had never behaved in a manner that said otherwise.

She had been laying there for around three hours when there was a knock on her tent door. Jolted abruptly from her thoughts, she hurriedly rose from her bed and rushed to open the door to reveal her lieutenant standing before her, bagged eyes betraying a bad night's sleep although nothing else would suggest so. Before Artemis could make a comment regarding her concern for her hunter's rest, Thalia spoke up.

"Good morning my lady. Is there anything planned for today." Artemis sighed, deciding to ask Thalia about her sleep schedule later.

"Yes actually, I need to address all the girls together at breakfast. It is very important and I believe it may make most of you, if not all of you, very happy." Thalia raised a curious eyebrow, but Artemis shook her head.

"Later." She said with a tone of finality. Thalia nodded, accepting Artemis' will grudgingly. When all the hunters were seated for breakfast, including an extremely weary looking Tanya that made Thalia look like the happiest person in the world, Artemis cleared her throat to gather their attention.

"Girls," she began, "Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, some… _incidents_ occurred which caused our hero Perseus to leave our care. Thankfully, I was recently able to locate the son of Poseidon and speak with him. As expected, his nature prevents him from holding any ill-will to any of you, and has invited us all to visit him tomorrow." The girls began chattering excitedly, all eager to start anew with the Hero of Olympus, none more elated than Thalia, relieved that her cousin was safe. Once the conversation had died down, it took Artemis the best part of the next half an hour to explain Percy's current whereabouts and situation, including the events of the last few days, but carefully excluding most details of her and Percy's closeness. The girls were shocked but found his exploits awesome, and growled when they learned of Annabeth's intrusion. Thalia and Phoebe were most impressed by Percy's "badassery" as they so aptly put it. However, Thalia couldn't help but feel as if her mistress was withholding something, but chose not to comment for the time being. As the hunters ate, they chatted about their excitement at meeting the son of Poseidon, and beginning to properly get to know him.

 _Back with our hero…_

Percy sat on his bed, drearily wiping the sleep from his eyes with his knuckles. He gazed absentmindedly at his wall of drawings for a few moments before going over his schedule. First, he'd shower quickly to freshen up and get dressed, as he currently only wore a pair of black track pants. Then, he'd have breakfast, work out for three hours, then shower again to properly clean himself. Following that, he'd have the rest of the day to relax and mentally prepare for the upcoming final fight. Although Ares had offered to let him walk away with his winnings from the entire season so far, including the huge payout he'd received from the last fight, he still wanted to challenge James Webster. An Australian son of Apollo, his fight technique was impressive, relying on sharp, precise movements and quick strikes, with his agility being his biggest asset. Assuming Percy won, he'd be the _undisputed_ champion of the league, even though his fight record was currently the same as James'.

As his train of thought concluded itself, he rose and stretched, making to walk to his bathroom when his door flew open. His eyes widened as he saw Jason, Piper, Frank, Leo and Hazel standing in his doorway, all slightly nervous. However, as they looked up, their eyes and slack jaws betrayed their shock. Jason, Frank and Leo looked slightly jealous yet impressed, while the girls struggled to contain their drool. Once he got over his shock, Percy hesitantly stepped forward.

"H-hey guys." He managed to stutter nervously. Before he could blink, he was tackled to the floor and the next few seconds comprised of many bodies on top of his, some tears, a lot of shouting and a kiss on the cheek somewhere in there. Once they had all calmed down, they let Percy get to his feet. The instant he did, they began to bombard him with questions. It took around an hour for him to answer everything they wanted to know. At that point, they all looked at him with sympathy, awe and respect.

"Shit bro… That's hard. I still would've burned those bi-" Leo was cut off by a smack to the head by Jason.

"Careful," Jason warned, "My sister is in that group." Leo grumbled, but shut up.

"He's right about one thing though. That's seriously rough man, respect to you for pulling through." Percy rubbed the back of his head as his eyes dropped.

"It was ok I guess." The guys face palmed while the girls rolled their eyes. Hazel smiled, her eyes shining with admiration.

"Typical you Percy. Always humble." Percy grunted uncomfortably before the daughter of Pluto wrapped him in a hug. He smiled, all discomfort gone as he lowered his arms to return the embrace.

"You're a fantastic person Perce. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You're a great role model and I'm proud to have you as an older brother." Percy practically burst with pride as he tightened his hold on Hazel.

"And I'm just as proud to call you my sister, Haze." He looked up, turning his attention to a certain smiling son of Mars. "You're a lucky boy Frank. Look after this one, you won't get another one like her again." Hazel blushed and rose to her tiptoes to kiss Percy on his cheek as Frank chuckled.

"I know Perce, I know."

 _Time skip: Two hours_

After catching up, Percy had invited his friends to stay, ushering them to the adjoining living room while he excused himself to shower. However, after two hours, they were seriously worried.

"Where the fuck is he?" Jason paced apprehensively across the carpet that lay in front of the coffee table. On the other side of the table was a sofa, where Piper and Hazel sat. Frank was standing beside Hazel with his arms folded and Leo was languishing on a recliner, although his eyes betrayed his anxiety. The girls had been trying to calm the boys down, but could not deny that they themselves were beginning to worry about Percy. Just as Jason looked like he was going to explode, the door burst open to reveal Percy smiling sheepishly, carrying two plastic bags of appeared to be takeaway. Instantly, all tension in the room vanished as all attention shifted to the bags, five pairs of eyes all staring hungrily at the food. Percy laughed.

"I've got Mexican and Chinese?"

 _A few minutes later…_

Frank leaned back on the sofa, letting out a contented sigh, followed by a burp. This earned him a lot of laughter but also a smack on the head curtesy of Hazel.

"Cover your mouth or say excuse me Frank!" She scolded seriously, only making everyone else laugh harder at Frank's embarrassed face.

"Yes dear." He muttered. Leo fell out of his chair with laugher while Jason was doubled over, clutching his sides in pain. Percy had gone red and had tears streaming down his face as he guffawed at the scene before him. Piper tried to hold it in, but even she let out a small chuckle. Hazel took no notice and turned to smile at Percy.

"Thanks Perce, that was great. I don't think we'll be eating for the rest of the day with that." Percy calmed down and smiled warmly back at Hazel. Frank opened him mouth to protest about something Hazel had said, but one quick glare from the daughter of Pluto caused him to quickly shut his mouth. Leo rose from the floor and clapped Percy's shoulder.

"Good choice man," he said cheerfully, rubbing his belly with his other hand, "it's nice to have some food that reminds me of home once in a while." Percy's eyes widened comically.

"You're Chinese?" he gasped in mock shock. Leo's mouth fell open and he sputtered, his face going red as he searched for and answer, obviously missing the sarcasm that laced the question. This caused another round of laughter, and even the girls joined in this time. Percy grinned.

"Chill bro, I know, I'm just messing around." Leo's face went red with embarrassment as his feet shuffled awkwardly.

"Yeah yeah, I uh… definitely knew that." Everyone chuckled at Leo's innocence as he rubbed the back of his head. Suddenly, Jason noticed the clock on the wall and his eyes widened as he shot to his feet.

"Oh, shit guys, we have to go! We promised we'd help with the battle simulation training remember?" Everyone else groaned as they slowly rose to their feet. Piper was the first to turn to Percy.

"Thank you for everything Perce, we can never repay you." She rose to her tiptoes, much like Hazel had to, and planted a kiss on his left cheek. Percy smiled down at the daughter of Aphrodite.

"You don't have to thank me for anything Pipes, we're family, and family sticks together no matter what." A look of guilt flashed across all of their eyes, but Percy caught it. He raised his hand firmly, clearly signaling that his statement was not to be disputed. "No matter what" he repeated. They all said their goodbyes, and four hugs later, Percy was once again on his own. He smiled at the door for a few moments, glad to see a few of his best friends again, before shifting his focus back to training. He went to look for a change of clothes as he began planning his routine out in his mind.

 _Elsewhere…_

Hyperion strode to the cellar, where a large, unconscious body lay on a larger bed. The figure showed no sense of movement, yet the Titan of the East had been informed of a stirring. As he reached his brother's side, he reached out and slowly grasped his arm. Blood red eyes shot opened to meet his golden ones as he whispered, "Soon, my brother, soon."

 _Three weeks later…_

"Yes this is he. What? Well how much are they paying? Tanzania? What? Yes ok. Yes I can make an exception. Of course, I'll send a recon team right over. Yeah no worries. Bye."

A tall, lean man walked into the room, sweeping his blonde hair out of his eyes as he asked, "Trouble, boss?" The raven haired man sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Nothing we can't handle, Alistair. What've you got for me?" The blonde man slid a folder across the desk.

"These are the photos and reports from the London recon op. All crew came back unharmed and no equipment was lost. No casualties. Four confirmed KIA targets. No backlash as yet. Public knowledge is minimum." The raven haired man nodded, impressed, as he skimmed over the contents of the folder. Glancing up, he smiled.

"Good work Alis. Expect a raise soon. Hunter will be mighty pleased." Alistair visibly grimaced, causing the raven haired man to sigh.

"Look, I know Hunter and I aren't on the best of terms, and he might not be the friendliest person alive, but we have a common interest and we wouldn't be where we are without him." Alistair exhaled slowly, nodding at his boss' words.

"I get you boss, but why doesn't he ever take the mask off? If he has the same interests as us, why the need for secrecy? I just don't trust the guy, Perce."

"Understood, but if you don't trust him, then trust me. He's got no ulterior motive."

"Sure Perce, if you say so. You know I trust you. If you vouch for him, then I guess he's alright, but that doesn't mean I have to like him."

"That's fine, most people don't. Go get some lunch, you deserve it." Percy smiled as Alistair nodded and walked out of his office, closing the frosted glass door behind him. As soon as he left, the smile dropped from Percy's face. Reaching under the desk, he pulled out a drachma. Using his water powers, he was about to summon some water vapor, before he paused. He let out a relieved sigh as he removed his blazer, shirt and tie before carefully putting them on his chair. Turning around, his eyes scanned his bookshelf for a few seconds before finally landing on his copy of the _Iliad._ As he pulled it out, the entire shelf folded inwards, revealing a secret opening. Percy stepped in, before turning around and putting the book back and letting the shelves return to their normal position. He turned to face his room. It was very similar to his room back at Ares' fighting tournament, simplistic but homely. He threw open his closet and grabbed a random shirt, throwing it on. He left his pants and shoes on, as she wouldn't be able to see those anyway. Reaching up, he messed up his carefully combed pompadour, ruffling his hair so that it looked more like his normal messy hair. Removing the necklace from around his neck and the black ring from his left ring finger, he took a deep breath. The son of Poseidon reached into his pocket to pull out the drachma, and summoned some water vapor, throwing the drachma into it. Clearing his throat, he said,

"Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Artemis, goddess of the moon."

There was a few seconds where nothing happened, and Percy was about to go fetch another drachma, when an image finally appeared. Instantly, all the stress and tension left his mind and body as that familiar face turned to face him.

 _At the hunters camp…_

Artemis sighed as she flopped onto her bed. She had enjoyed a good lunch, and the hunters seemed to be coming to grips with the fact that Percy would come back when the time was right. At least they had all received an Iris message from him to explain. Of course he would go above and beyond to further solidify his status as perfect, although that was not his intention. Artemis had realized that although nobody said it out loud (at least in her company), that was what he had been come to be known as. The perfect hero. The perfect man. The perfect friend. The perfect lover. Everything he did and everything about him screamed perfection. Even after everything he had been through, all the ordeals, the wars and battles, the losses he had suffered, the pain he had endured, he still came out of it fighting, true to his warrior nature, and for the most part remained unscathed. Although she knew it was wrong, she had accepted that she had well and truly fallen for him, but she had resolved not to act on it. She doubted that the thought of her as a lover barely flitted across his mind, and besides, it was wrong. She was forbidden to ever take a man as a lover anyway.

Her depressing train of thought was interrupted by the Iris message that appeared at the foot of her bed. Sitting up straight, she rubbed her eyes, preparing to tiredly receive yet another update from Camp Olympus that all was well. She was shocked, however, when the very man who plagued her thoughts, looked back at her. Artemis made to say something, but her words caught in her throat.

 _Dear gods he was handsome._

Even though his hair looked chaotic, it had a sort of ruffled structure to it that made him look effortlessly sexy.

 _Wow,_ she thought, _I actually used that word? Thalia must be rubbing off on me far too much._

Returning her attention to Perseus, she noted that his shoulders seemed slightly broader than they had, and the black T-shirt he wore clung flatteringly to his muscled form. He seemed relaxed, his twinkling eyes and broad smile betraying his happiness to see her. _Was that..?_ No it couldn't be. She craned her neck, trying to get a better look at his collar.

"Artemis?" His voice broke the silence. "Are you ok?"

"Yes Perseus I'm fine." Her eyes widened. "Perseus, what is that beneath your shirt?" Percy smirked.

"Woah, moonbeam, I thought we were just friends." She scowled, fighting off the blush that threatened to heat her face up.

"No you dolt, I mean on you collarbone there. Is that writing?" His eyes widened, all playfulness lost as he desperately tried to cover it up with his hands, trying to pretend to rub his shoulder as nonchalantly as possible.

"What do you mean? There's nothing there." His voice seemed confident enough but Artemis knew him well enough to pick up on the slight underlying fear. She frowned, folding her arms.

"Don't take me for a fool Perseus. Take your shirt off." She stopped abruptly, realising the unintentional innuendo in the command. Luckily, Percy didn't pick it up, as he sighed, closing his eyes as he gripped the edges of his shirt.

"Okay, but please don't be angry." She nodded, just silently thankful that he hadn't made a sexual joke out of her order. As he slowly removed his shirt, she fought to keep her saliva in her mouth. His body was enough to hound any woman's dreams for life. It was as if he had been carved precisely from tanned marble, polished, refined and doused in aphrodisiacs. She literally felt drool form at the corner of her mouth. His abdominal area was clearly defined and prominent, sitting below his broad chest and shoulders. His arms were very obviously muscled, thick veins running down the entire length, and although they weren't in view, she knew they ended in his calloused yet tender hands. Snapping out of her fantasies, she turned her attention to the ink that sat just below his collarbone and ran across the top of his chest. It was too small to see, but she could tell that there was writing, and that there were several words, but she couldn't make out whether they were a sentence or independent words. Below them sat a silhouetted figure with wings in front of a full moon. It was beautiful, and secretly she hoped that the moon represented her to him.

"Well…?" he asked nervously. She smiled.

"Well the picture is definitely beautiful but I can't see what the writing says, but I do like the look." A weight seemed to be lifted off his shoulders with those words. 

"I've got more on my back as well. Wanna see?" Arching her eyebrows, she nodded in anticipation. He turned around, and she almost gasped. Below his shoulders was another breathtaking picture, this time of the full moon over the ocean. Below that was a smaller tattoo, a red heart punctured by an arrow. Beneath it was a green ribbon with black writing that spelled 'Percy and '. She frowned.

"Perseus?" she asked. Turning back around, he looked at her questioningly.

"Why does your tattoo say Percy and blank?"

"Well," he began, rubbing his head, "I'm still holding out for that special someone, although my chances aren't great. Whenever I find the right one, if I do at all, I'll fill the blank space with their name so I am forever branded by our bond, tying me to her always."

"Wow, that's… that's really sweet. I'm sure you'll find someone Perseus." _And hopefully it'll be me after I find a loophole in my vow_ she added silently. He smiled gratefully, and if she had been standing, she was sure that her knees would have given way at the gorgeous sight. They chatted about everything and nothing for a few minutes, just catching up. A knock at Artemis' door cut their conversation short, however, and with an apologetic look she swiped her hand through the message. The last thing she saw was Percy's kind smile, before she sighed almost dreamily.

 _Dear gods she was turning into Aphrodite._

 _Back with our hero…_

Percy smiled goofily as he took his shirt off and put his necklace and rings back on. He felt like he was on cloud 9 as he distractedly pushed a button and the wall folded in to reveal his office again. He quickly donned his shirt, tie and blazer again, making sure he looked as professional as possible. Running his hands through his hair, he slicked his hair back in a messy version of his usual pompadour. He didn't have a comb, so it would have to do. Smoothing down his tie, he pushed his door open and walked out into the busy and noisy hall where other people were constantly running to and fro with briefcases, folders, weapons and sheets of paper. They all stopped momentarily to acknowledge his presence before he waved his hand, dismissing them to return to their errands.

 _Just another day at work,_ Percy thought.

 **AN: And that's a wrap! I'm so sorry for the delay, there aren't any excuses that make up for it so I hope this does. I know it isn't the best of returns but I do have plans for where this story is going. Please let me know what you guys think of this chapter, and thank you for your patience. Until next time, take care.**

 **MaverickHunter18**


	9. Chapter 9

Alistair removed his helmet gingerly, taking deep breaths as he brushed his fringe out of his eyes. Turning his head, he noticed that the man beside him had no such troubles, looking like he had just strolled out of a magazine.

Well, if that magazine happened to be an armour catalogue.

Alistair shook his head. They had just taken on hundreds of monsters, in African heat and humidity, and Percy wasn't even out of breath. It is just plain ridiculous. As if just noticing his companion, Percy removed his own helmet and turned to face Alistair, grinning.

"Really? You're tired after that?" Alistair rolled his eyes. There wasn't even a bead of sweat on the son of Poseidon.

"Ha ha very funny. Some of us are only half human y'know."

"Aw don't give me that shit Alistair. We're biologically the same, just one of us is more of a pussy than the other."

"You should be a fuckin' comedian Perce." Alistair paused to spit into the dirt. "When was the last time you even had a fair fight?" Percy smiled faintly, his eyes clouding as he remembered back to last month.

"Not that long ago actually."

 _Flashback: Last month_

Percy spat out the blood that had filled his mouth as he eyed his opponent. He had taken a beating at James' hands, but he had given some back. The Australian's left eye was surrounded by nasty bruising and there was a trail of dried blood leading down from his bottom lip. Less noticeably to the untrained eye, James' weight was placed ever so slightly more on his right leg and he had stopped kicking with his left ever since the last round. Percy would've been more proud of his work if his own ears weren't ringing and if his chest didn't feel like a boulder was pressing down on it. Just in the nick of time, the bell sounded, prompting both men to lower their hands and walk past each other to their respective corners. While James had a crew, Percy had to make do on his own, and went to work cleaning his cuts and quickly downing half of his fourth bottle of water. He knew he couldn't go for much longer, and if he didn't end this now, the fight would end in a tie, something that nobody wanted.

As the final round began, both men shot each other a grudging look of respect before raising their fists and approaching each other again. They locked eyes, both daring the other to falter. Percy could tell James knew he was going to win if the fight was left to a judge's decision. The blonde boy was hanging back slightly, not taking any risks, and his attacks were less aggressive.

 _Fuck it_ , Percy thought, _It's all in or nothing_.

Advancing slowly, Percy watched for the left hand that he was sure would be coming his way. Sure enough, once he was within reach, James' left fist shot out to jab at his head, but Percy was quick, having anticipated the move. He ducked and weaved so he was outside the punch, and quickly struck back with his own right hook before James could raise his guard again. As the Australian went reeling, Percy followed up with a flurry of quick strikes, using his superior strength to his advantage. James may have been quicker and more agile, but that was of no use when he was reeling from constant powerful hits. Percy's knee collided with his opponent's jaw, followed by a powerful elbow to the temple that had James stumbling. Seizing the advantage, Percy brought his right fist down in his signature hammer blow, knocking the smaller man out as he crumpled beneath the blow. Backing away, the son of Poseidon realized that this had been his most taxing fight yet, and the only one that left him requiring medical attention.

 _Flashback end_

"Yo! Perce? Ground control to major Jackson!" Percy snapped out of his trace to find Alistair clicking his fingers impatiently in front of him. Sighing, he tucked his helmet under his arm.

"Get a cleanup crew down here, you know the drill Alis. I'm gonna go report back to Hunter." Alistair raised an eyebrow. Noticing this, Percy turned back to face him.

"What?" he asked, confused. The blonde man crossed his arms expectantly.

"Come on boss, you don't think I forgot?" Percy's brow furrowed.

"Forgot what?"

"Today's your last day remember? You said you were gonna take an 'extended break' whatever that means." Percy's eyes lit up. He remembered now. He was leaving the business for a while to go and be with the Hunt. Oh how he had missed Artemis and Thalia. It wouldn't be long now before he would be seeing them again.

"You're right, I totally forgot." Alistair snorted.

"Typical. Take it easy man, go home. I'll send the report to Hunter."

"You sure?" Clearing his fringe from his eyes, Alistair glared at his raven-haired partner.

"Yes I'm fucking sure. Go Perce. Take a break. You deserve it." Smiling, the two men embraced before Percy disappeared in a flash of light.

 _A little while later..._

Artemis groaned frustratedly. She had been in a really bad mood. Ever since she had awoken this morning, she had felt her... _craving_ for a certain green-eyed male to be almost overpowering. For some reason, however, none of her Iris Messages were going through. She let out a huff of annoyance as for the billionth time, a calm voice told her that _"The person you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please try again later. Sorry."_

"Stupid Iris messages. Stupid Percy. Stupid me. Agh!" Her annoyance was really seeping in now, and she closed her eyes as she felt an anger begin to course through her veins.

"Calm down," she said aloud to herself, "he's probably just in the middle of something important. He'll call back. He will." She nearly jumped as a voice interrupted her moment of solitude.

"Or," came the voice from behind her, "he might just come and visit you because he's missed you so much." Whirling around, she found herself faced with a very pleasant surprise. Perseus himself emerged into the clearing, carrying with him a few duffel bags that looked quite heavy, yet appeared to cause him no strain whatsoever. He grinned devilishly as he approached her, and she felt her heart rate begin to skyrocket.

"Miss me?" With that, she almost threw herself into his arms, but just about kept herself composed.

"And who said I was talking about you?" The broad smile vanished, replaced with a look of hurt.

"Artemis, are you... are you saying you were calling _another_ male friend of yours? Jeez, here I was thinking I was lucky to be the only one, but no, it looks like you've made other, _better_ friends." He paused in the middle of his overdramatic mini monologue to sniffle. "I see how it is." His shoulders slumped as he took on a dejected look. Artemis couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing, nearly in tears at his expression. Seeing her amused, Percy dropped his act and his crooked grin returned.

"Yes, I did miss you, you idiot" she managed to reply as she drew herself together. Taking the opportunity to properly look at him, she allowed her eyes to wander over the white T-shirt that looked comfortable, yet still managed to outline his muscular build, and then upwards to his sparkling eyes and chiseled jaw, sitting beneath his perfectly tousled black hair. Returning her attention to him, she mentally high-fived herself at the speed with which she had taken in his features. It was almost scary at how good she was getting at doing that.

"I missed you too my lady. I'll explain everything later to everyone, as I'm sure you all will be curious as to where I've been. I suppose I should go meet the other girls first?" Artemis took hold of his sleeve and tugged him towards her tent.

"Yes, but first I have something to show you, and I expect to hear everything first." With a smile, He allowed himself to be dragged along, duffel bags and all, with a smile that nearly split his face in two.

"As you wish my lady, as you wish."

Artemis led Percy into her tent, where she dragged him to her desk, upon which lay stacks and stacks of paper. Grabbing a handful, Artemis began shuffling through them, reading aloud as she did so.

"London, sightings of hellhounds near Piccadilly Circus. Disappeared in 12 hours. Zimbabwe, multiple dracaena spotted in Harare. Disappeared in 18 hours. Massachusetts, Laistrygonian giants seen in Cambridge. Disappeared in 14 hours." She paused looking up at Percy. "I checked with camp, and with every God or Goddess I could get a hold of, as well as all living demigods that we have records of. None of them are responsible for these cases, or any of the many others. It definitely wasn't my girls. I'm assuming this is your doing?" Percy smiled sheepishly.

"Well... not entirely." He quickly explained to her how he'd set up an international demigod-run business to deal with monster sightings around the world, giving other demigods a purpose while keeping mortals and their world safe. To say the moon Goddess was shocked would be an understatement. At this point, she was seriously debating whether there were any imperfections to the man that stood before her. It seemed as though there was little he couldn't do.

"Wow, that's... certainly amazing." Artemis took a deep breath before grinning. "But you totally ripped off my hunters, just admit it." Percy's arms crossed defensively.

"No I didn't!" Artemis giggled and shoved him lightly.

"You definitely did." The son of Poseidon scowled.

"Whatever." Artemis shot him a triumphant wink.

"Well we both know you both did it because we're the best and most efficient group in the world." Percy smiled and stepped closer.

"If only I could copy their phenomenal leader. Shame she's one of a kind." Artemis blushed and felt her heart hammer against her ribcage.

"Uh... I..." Percy laughed at her inability to form words. Turning, he walked out of her tent, shooting her his best imitation of her wink over his shoulder.

"I'll come back later when you remember how to talk, okay Arty? Don't stress too hard." She spluttered indignantly, causing him to laugh harder as he walked off to find the rest of the hunters.

 _What the fuck just happened?_ she thought, fanning herself in an attempt to calm her flustered nerves.

 _Meanwhile..._

Percy heard curses coming from the lake, and went over to investigate, frowning. He found a girl with her back to him to be the source of the cursing, and he quickly realised that the laundry in her hands was the cause of her irritation. Taking pity on her, he silently approached her and used his power over the water to cause the clothes in the water to untangle and dry. Startled, the girl turned around and jumped slightly at the sight of him. As she closed her eyes and took deep breaths to calm herself down, Percy noted that it was Tanya who he had been doing the laundry. A month or so ago, he may have been angered or saddened at the sight of the girl before him, but the two had sorted their differences out.

 _Flashback: Last month_

Percy smiled as a mob of girls swarmed him as he entered his room, excitedly clamouring for his attention. He had invited the hunters to see the fight as he hoped it might give them a basis to start over, and he was glad to see he had been right. He spent the next couple of hours talking and bonding with them, modestly dismissing their awe and praise of his fight. Noticing Tanya in the corner of the room, standing awkwardly alone, he made his way over, excusing himself from Phoebe's barrage of questions as to how he learned how to fight with such power and speed.

"Hey," he said cautiously. As she glanced up, Percy saw a mixture of emotions flash through her eyes, none of which were particularly good. "Are you okay?"

"I..I..." she stuttered. Percy frowned.

"What's up Tanya? Is something wrong?" There was no hostility or resentment in his voice, just genuine concern, only serving to worsen her mood.

"I just... I feel really guilty about how I treated you... especially since my lady vouched for you, and I just wasn't expecting you to invite me or any of the others here. I want to be surprised that you don't hold any grudge or anger against us but I'm honestly not, and that's the worst part, because that means I know how good a person you are, but I still treated you like shit, and-" Percy interrupted her.

"Hey, hey. No. None of that. What happened is in the past, there's no point dwelling on it. Besides, I invited you girls here so we could start over, so I hope we can at least be friends after tonight?" Tanya smiled gratefully.

"Absolutely."

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it! I'm so so sorry this took so long guys**


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